A Tale to Tell
by Lilianne Lei
Summary: COTBP: Rachelle Swann has lived in Port Royal for eight years, ever since Governor Swann took her in. But a pirate raid, and the subsequent kidnapping, leaves old memories burgeoning from a suppressed past as she attempts to return home unscathed. Jack/OC
1. Chapter 1

The golden rays of the sun were just creeping over the horizon as I arose from a restless slumber. My adoptive sister, Elizabeth, was still sleeping in the room adjacent to mine, most likely having peaceful, ladylike dreams. Either that or dreams about the man she fancied. Dreams that were quite unlike those that crept into my slumbering unconscious. No, I dreamt of adventure, and sailing the seas. The visions often appeared in the same sequence, taking a similar story to the dream of the previous night. With the sun swiftly rising, I glanced out over the port. Fort Charles, buzzing with activity, reminded me of today's events the moment I laid eyes on its impressive fortifications. Today would be the day our resident Navy Captain was promoted to Commodore James Norrington.

My door opened slowly as our servant peered her head into the room. "Good morrow, Miss Swann." she greeted me, not quite surprised to see me out of bed despite the early hour.

"Good morning, Estrella." I smiled warmly before I laid my eyes on the strange outfit in her arms. "Oh dear, what has Father bought me now?" I sighed.

"A new dress for Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony. Your father's bought one for you and Elizabeth each. Said it's the latest fashion in London."

"My goodness, he does love to spoil us, doesn't he?" I tittered lightly. "Just leave it here, I'll put in on after breakfast."

xxxxxxxxxx

I gasped for breath as the maids helped me get dressed later that morning. "The woman in London must've learned not to breathe."

Estrella chuckled. "Miss Elizabeth just said the same exact thing, my lady."

The dress, now laced up in the back, pressed up against my slender form as I examined myself in the mirror. It was an elegant lavender gown with gold trimming along the neckline and sleeves. My jet black hair was done up into a complicated bun and light blush pronounced my high cheekbones. Through the open door, I heard my father speaking with someone downstairs, so I exited my room and entered the foyer slowly.

"Good morning, Mr. Turner." I smiled when I saw the person to whom Governor Swann, my adoptive father, was speaking.

"Hello, Miss Swann. How are you this fine morning?" he asked as I descended the staircase.

"I'm very well, thank you. Is that the new sword for Captain Norrington?" I inquired, gently taking the eloquently mastered weapon. "I see the blade is folded steel. That's gold filigree laid into the handle, isn't it?" I balanced the sword carefully. "Perfectly balanced. The tang is nearly the full width of the blade."

"Now, Rachelle, that's hardly proper for a young woman such as you to be handling a sword." my father said, taking the blade from my hands and returning it to the blacksmith.

"Father, you know I'm just not fit to be a proper young woman of an English society." I sighed. "I don't want to be as haughty as all the other high-society women I see in town."

"Rachelle!"

"What do you think, Will?" I asked, ignoring my father as I turned to the young man.

"You're wonderful the way you are, my lady, but, with all due respect, Miss Swann, I must agree with the Governor."

Just then, my sister entered from above. "Oh, Elizabeth, you look stunning." my father gushed.

"Will! It's so good to see you." she said excitedly as she rushed down the stairs. "I had a dream about you last night."

"About me?" he asked, surprised.

I rolled my eyes at her forthright comment. Her dreams about Will were nearly as frequent as the visions of adventure that haunted my slumber. "Yes, well, is that entirely proper for you to…" our father tried to interrupt.

"It was about the day we met, remember?" she continued.

"How could I forget, Miss Swann?" Will responded respectfully.

I shook my head lightly and slipped back upstairs to fetch my shoes. When I returned, my father was leading Elizabeth outside to our carriages. "Will, could I speak with you for a moment?" I asked before he followed them out.

"Of course, Rachelle." he said, reverting to our less formal manner of speaking. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to compliment you on the sword you made for Norrington. It's wonderful. If I were permitted to own a sword, I'd be sure to purchase one of yours."

"Thanks." he smiled. "But, how'd you know that I made it?"

"Are you kidding?" I scoffed. "Mr. Brown couldn't make anything like that in a million years. Besides, I know you too well to have let an opportunity to forge such a special sword slip through your fingers."

He shrugged and teased, "Too bad you _can't_ have a sword. You have to become a stuck up 'proper English woman'."

"You're horrible!" I laughed. "Making fun of the Governor's daughter? I could have you arrested for that, blacksmith."

"Rachelle!" my father called from outside.

I rolled my eyes and called back, "Coming, Father!" I turned back to Will. "I'll try to come by your shop after the ceremony."

"Good day, Miss Swann." he said as I hugged him goodbye.

Sliding into the carriage, I watched our home as we pulled away at a gentle trot. Upon arrival at the fort, Governor Swann escorted Elizabeth and me to our seats, where we perched ourselves in the stifling heat. Our fans fluttered before our faces, working to both cool us down and force air into our lungs as the ceremony commenced. I could hardly focus for the uncomfortable sensation of sweat building up beneath my corset and, when the ceremony concluded at last, I forced myself to rise and relocate over to a slightly shaded spot on the battlements of the fort.

Allowing the wind to wash over me, I stared perilously down at the rocks hundreds of feet below as the new Commodore pulled my adoptive sister over to the side. They talked for a few moments before she fainted and plummeted down to the treacherous ocean at the bottom of the cliff. "ELIZABETH!" he shouted in desperation, leaning precariously over the side.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! And to XxCherryblossomxX33, the very first reader to favorite my story. It means a lot to me, thank you!**

Elizabeth plunged into the ocean; I could hear the splash from where I stood on the battlements. As everyone rushed to see what had happened, I dashed instead down the stairs as fast as possible, kicking off my shoes as I flew out of the fort. I scampered through the lower town, reaching the docks not but two minutes later; a man ripped open her corset with the dagger in his fist and air flew into her lungs. She twisted around, coughing up water onto the deck, as I rushed to her side.

"Elizabeth, are you alright?"

She nodded weakly as I helped her stand. Turning to the man who had helped her, I said, "Thank you for saving my sister, sir. I will see to it that you are paid handsomely for your services."

"You're quite welcome, love." he replied with a slight grin, but his grin faltered when he spotted a medallion hanging around her neck. "Where did you get that?"

Suddenly, swords were unsheathed with a ring of steel as Commodore Norrington and his men flocked around the man. "On your feet." he ordered.

"Elizabeth, are you alright?" our father said as he rushed over and wrapped her in his jacket.

"Yes, I'm fine." she replied weakly as I got a good look at her rescuer.

Long, brown dreadlocks hung loosely from his head, restrained only by a faded red bandana, with one or two groups of beads hanging in clusters. He wore a white, puffy shirt and a blue vest over it, cinched by a cloth around his waist. His pants were a dirty brown, as were his worn leather boots, and a great number of rings decorated his fingers. His eyes were a deep brown and I stared captivatingly into them for a few moments before he looked away. There was an aura of familiarity around him, but I couldn't recall from where I recognized the man.

Governor Swann noticed one of the guards holding her corset, who then pointed at her rescuer. "Shoot him!" the governor commanded.

"Father! Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?" Elizabeth protested.

"I believe thanks are in order." Norrington said, offering to shake his hand, but pulling up his sleeve to reveal a 'P' on the other man's arm. "Had a brush with the East India Trading company, did we, pirate?"

My heart skipped a beat. Pirate. My sister's rescuer was a _pirate_. I stared at him, unable to speak a word. The man looked down sadly, as if the brand brought back painful memories, and I saw Elizabeth glancing down at our own wrists, as if imagining the pain of being branded herself.

"Hang him." the governor ordered.

"Keep your guns on him, men. Gillette, fetch some irons." I caught sight of a tattoo on the man's arm as Norrington spoke of it and memories of my past came flooding back to me. "Well, well? Jack Sparrow, isn't it?"

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow." I muttered at the same time the pirate stated, "Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir."

"Well, I don't see your ship, Captain." the Commodore mocked.

"I'm in the market as it were." Sparrow replied conversationally.

"He said he'd come to commandeer one." the guard holding the corset said.

"Told ya he was telling the truth." the other guard muttered to him before handing the pirate's effects over to Norrington. "These are his, sir."

"No additional shot nor powder. A compass that doesn't point north. And I half expected it to be made of wood." Commodore Norrington commented as he examined the belongings. "You are without a doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of."

"But you have heard of me." the pirate smiled back as he was pulled along and put in chains.

"Commodore, I really must protest." Elizabeth and I said in unison as we stepped protectively in front of Jack Sparrow.

"Carefully, Lieutenant." Norrington said, ignoring our comments.

"Pirate or not this man saved my life." my sister stated forcefully.

"One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness."

"Though it seems enough to condemn him." Sparrow mumbled.

"Indeed." Norrington stated as Gillette stepped away from the prisoner.

"Finally." the pirate captain nearly exclaimed as he threw his irons around my neck.

"No, don't shoot!" my father shouted, panicking as the soldiers pointed their guns at us.

"I knew you'd warm up to me. Commodore Norrington," he said mockingly, "my effects, please, and my hat. Commodore! And… I don't think I caught your name, love."

"Miss Rachelle Swann…" I murmured, my body held so close to his that I could feel his heart beating a steady rhythm.

"Miss Swann, if you'd be so kind. Come, come, dear. We don't have all day. Now if you'd be very kind."

I strapped his sword around his waist and muttered, "Consider this your payment for saving my sister. Once you escape here, find the blacksmith's shop. I'll be there as soon as I can. The man will be dead drunk and his apprentice shouldn't be there for about an hour. I'll get there as soon as I can to help you get free from your irons."

"Careful with the goods." he winced as I cinched his sword tightly around his waist.

Placing his hat on his head, I said loudly, "You're despicable."

"Sticks and stones, love. I saved your sister's life, you save mine, we're square. Gentlemen, my ladies, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!"

He shoved me back towards the soldiers, kicked a lever, and was launched into the air, only to land on a beam above our heads. "Now will you shoot him?" Governor Swann exclaimed.

"Open fire!" Norrington commanded.

Indeed, Jack Sparrow was fired upon, but every bullet missed. And I thought these were the pride of the King's Navy. "On his heels!" the Commodore shouted as the pirate threw his chains around a rope and slid down to the ground. "Gillette, Mr. Sparrow has a dawn appointment with the gallows. I would hate for him to miss it."

Governor Swann held me close as the soldiers set off through the town in pursuit of the illustrious Captain Jack Sparrow. "Rachelle, are you alright?" he asked, fawning over me as though I'd nearly died.

"I'm fine, Father. It's Elizabeth who we should be ensuring is unharmed." I replied. "She is the one who fell from the battlements after all."


	3. Chapter 3

Hello all! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and/or started following _**A Tale to Tell**_, especially to the lovely vanillaparchment for her wonderful review!

"Where are you going, Miss Rachelle?"

I cringed at the sound of Estrella's voice as I attempted to sneak out of the mansion unnoticed. Turning around, I replied nonchalantly, "Just to run an errand."

She raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Oh, where to? I was about to head into town. Perhaps I can pick up something for you."

"No, thank you. I… I have to keep a promise to someone."

"Be careful, Rachelle." she warned with a knowing glint in her eyes.

I nodded and hurried into town, sliding into the smithy to see Will calming the donkey. "Right where I left you." he said to the sleeping Mr. Brown before speaking to the hammer. "Not where I left you."

He reached for an all too familiar hat, but his hand was stopped by an equally familiar sword. "You're the one they're hunting. The pirate." Will stated as the man rose from his hiding place.

"You seem somewhat familiar. Have I threatened you before?" Jack questioned, neither of them noticing my presence.

"I make a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates."

"Ah, well, then it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record. So, if you'll excuse me?" the pirate turned to leave, but was stopped when Will grabbed a sword of his own. "Do you think this wise, boy? Crossing blades with a pirate?"

"You threatened Rachelle Swann."

"Only a little." Jack smirked as they began to duel.

I watched unseen from the doorway as they lunged and parried back and forth. "You know what you're doing. I'll give you that." Jack commented. "Excellent form, but how's your footwork? If I step here," he stepped sideways. "Very good. Now I step again. Ta."

Satisfied, the pirate sheathed his sword and walked towards the door on the opposite side of the smithy; Will skillfully threw his blade into the door, barring the exit. Jack unsuccessfully endeavored to wrench it out, grabbing the hilt and tugging it with all his might, before turning back to his opponent. "That is a wonderful trick, except, once again you are between me and my way out. And now you have no weapon."

Will pulled a sword, glowing with heat, out of the hearth and the men began to duel once again. "Who makes all these?" Jack asked, glancing at the swords.

"I do!" Will stated proudly. "And I practice with them three hours a day!"

"You need to find yourself a girl, mate! Or perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you already found one and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet." He paused. "You're not a eunuch, are you?"

"I practice three hours a day so that when I meet a pirate, I can kill it!"

The swordfight continued as they leapt onto a cart. It swayed beneath them as the blacksmith hooked a knife in Jack's irons and embedded it in the beam above. The pirate hit a loose board in return which threw Will off the cart. Sparrow pulled the blade out of the wood and fell back onto the cart as his younger opponent climbed back on. Will, vaulted into the rafters above, loosed a sack which fell to the wavering cart and launched Jack onto the upper level. The fight continued and they leapt from beam to beam. After both returned to the ground, my friend disarmed the pirate, who in return threw ashes into Will's eyes.

Jack pulled out a pistol while the blacksmith protected his face. "You cheated!" Will exclaimed.

"Pirate." Captain Sparrow explained shortly as we heard men breaking down the door. "Move away."

"No."

"Please move."

"No! I cannot just step aside and let you escape."

"Let him go, Will." I said, stepping away from the door and placing a gentle hand on his blade.

"Rachelle, he's a pirate! And he threatened you!" Will exclaimed.

"He also saved Elizabeth's life! I can't just let her savior be hanged. The only reason he got caught was because the other guards couldn't bloody well swim to rescue her and he took it upon himself to save a beautiful woman who fell from the battlements from wearing a corset which prevented her from breathing as it is doing to me as I speak!" I exclaimed, nearly fainting from the pressure the whale bone was pressing on my lungs.

"Thank you!" Jack nearly shouted. "Now move."

"Will, let him go." I pleaded. "There was no harm done today."

"Rachelle, you know I cannot. He's a pirate and pirates do not deserve to live."

"This shot was not meant for you." Jack stated, almost pleadingly as well.

Suddenly, there was a crash of shattering glass and the pirate fell unconscious. Mr. Brown stood behind him, holding a broken bottle of rum. The soldiers rushed in with Norrington right behind them. I backed into the shadows as one of the soldiers shouted, "There he is! Over there!"

"Excellent work, Mr. Brown." Norrington praised the drunk. "You've assisted in the capture of a dangerous fugitive."

"Just doing my civic duty, sir." Mr. Brown slurred.

"Well, I trust you will remember this as the day that Captain Jack Sparrow almost escaped." Norrington said more to himself than to anyone else. "Take him away."

Once the soldiers left, Mr. Brown relapsed into a drunken slumber in his chair. I stepped out of my hiding place, smoothed out my lavender gown, and gave a heavy sigh. "Rachelle, you know I couldn't have just let him go. He's a pirate." Will sighed.

"If it weren't for him, Elizabeth would have drowned!" I exclaimed. "Pirate or not, that man saved her life."

"Rachelle!" he said exasperatedly.

I took a deep breath and calmed myself down before I grabbed a sword and started up a clumsy duel in blind fury. "It's alright, Will. It's over and done with. There's nothing we can do now. Norrington's bound to have a number of soldiers guarding the jail anyway."

I gave him a friendly smile and walked out into the streets of Port Royal, rushing home and sneaking inside. That evening, one of the maids, Bella, entered my room to make sure I was comfortable. "There you go, miss." she said as she placed a bed warmer beneath my sheets. "It was a difficult day for you, I'm sure."

"I'm not sure what you mean, Isabella."

"Well, I meant you being threatened by a pirate."

"Oh, yes," I feigned. "It was terrifying."


	4. Chapter 4

A sudden boom wrenched me from my slumber. Frightfully loud cannon fire resonated throughout the town as I leapt from my bed and peered out the window. A single ship was anchored in the bay. A ship that wasn't flying any colors. "Pirates!" I whispered.

Ignoring the thoughts whirling through my mind, I hastened to Elizabeth's room and pulled her back towards the corridor. "What's happening?" she implored.

"We have to move!" I shouted over the sound of another cannon blast.

"Rachelle!"

"Not now, Lizzie! Pirates aren't quite what you've imagined."

"How did you—"

"I saw that medallion earlier today. The one Jack, that pirate, was interested in. I don't know why you have it, but right now, I don't really care. Do you have it now?"

"Yes, yes, it's right here."

"Keep it." I ordered her. "Be sure of that."

By the time we reached the foyer, the pirates had invaded the grounds and arrived at the door. "Don't!" we shouted at the butler in unison as he responded to the knock.

Nevertheless, he heaved open the door without checking the identity of the callers. "Ello chum!" a short, rotund pirate, called Pintel, greeted before shooting the poor man. Elizabeth let out a horrified shriek, capturing his attention. "Up there!" he shouted to the ragtag band of looters.

"Girls!" a pirate exclaimed. What an astute observation.

We retreated up the stairs to Elizabeth's room, locking the door behind us. "They've come to kidnap you, my ladies!" Estrella exclaimed.

"What?" Elizabeth asked.

"You're the Governor's daughters!"

"They haven't seen you. Hide, and the first chance you get, run to the fort."

We distracted the pirates as they burst into the room and Estrella hid behind the armoire. Elizabeth grabbed the bed warmer and hit the first pirate in the face. "Gotcha!" a second pirate, Ragetti, shouted as he grabbed her arms; Elizabeth released the ashes on his head. "It's hot! You burned me!"

"Come on!" Pintel shouted at his more slender counterpart as we fled.

Estrella managed to escape unseen, but we were cornered on the stairs. That is, until a cannonball blasted through the wall and took out one of the pirates looting the mansion. We scampered into the closest room and locked the door after Pintel and Ragetti were forced to dodge the falling chandelier. Elizabeth attempted to grab a sword off the wall, but it was stuck tight. "Nice try," I said supportively as my eyes darted about the room for an escape.

"Where can we—"

"There," I interrupted, pointing to a door.

The two pirates broke through the door just moments after we concealed ourselves in the linen closet. "We know you're here, poppets." Pintel drawled.

"Poppets." Ragetti repeated.

"Come out and we promise we won't hurt you. We will find you, poppets. You've got something of ours, and it calls to us. The gold calls to us."

"Gold calls?"

I glanced at Elizabeth, whose eyes were wide with fear. Reaching for her hand, I gave it a reassuring squeeze as the door swung open.

"'Ello, poppets." Pintel grinned lecherously.

"Parlay!" we announced in unison. It never ceased to amaze me how often our thoughts aligned.

"What?" Ragetti asked, startled.

"Parlay." I repeated, glancing again at my sister. "We invoke the right of parlay. According to the Code of the Brethren, set down by the pirates Morgan and Bartholomew, you have to take us to your Captain."

"I know the Code." Pintel snarled.

"If an adversary demands parlay, you can do them no harm until the parlay is complete." Elizabeth stated.

"To blazes with the Code." Ragetti grumbled.

Smiling devilishly, the balding pirate seemed to get an idea. "They want to be taken to the Captain. And they'll go without a fuss. We must honor the Code." he smirked at his partner.

The two pirates pulled us through the town and amidst the chaos of the raid. We reached the harbor moments after passing by Will, who was engaged in battle with a crazed looking brigand, and were rowed across to the ship I'd seen from my window. "I didn't know we was takin' on captives." another pirate, the boatswain, complained.

"They've invoked the right of parlay with Captain Barbossa." Pintel explained.

My breath caught in my throat and I stopped in my tracks. The name echoed in my mind as the pirates pushed me along with Elizabeth. "I am here to negotiate—" Elizabeth started to say before she was backhanded by Bo'sun.

"You will speak when spoken to." he snarled.

The captain grabbed Bo'sun's wrist. "And ye are not lay a hand on those under the protection of parlay."

My eyes widened and I put my head down to stare at the deck. "Aye, sir." he replied dutifully.

"My apologies, Miss." Barbossa told her.

"Captain Barbossa, we are here to negotiate the cessation of hostilities against Port Royal."

"There are a lot of long words in there, Miss; we're naught but humble pirates. What is it you want?"

"I want you to leave and never come back." she said boldly.

"I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request. Means 'no'."

"Very well, then, I'll drop it." She dangled a medallion over the sea. It glinted in the fire light and I recognized it as the charm I'd spotted about her neck earlier that day.

"Me holds are burstin' with swag. That bit of shine matters to us? Why?"

"It's what you've been searching for. I recognized the ship. I saw it eight years ago on the crossing from England."

"Did ya, now?"

"Fine. Well, I suppose if it is worthless, then there's no point in me keeping it." She let it drop a bit and the pirates lunged forward.

"Ah." Barbossa chuckled. "Ye both have a name, Missy?"

"Elizabeth and Rachelle Turner." she lied. "We're maids in the Governor's household."

We curtsied to complete the illusion. "Miss Turners?"

"Bootstrap." Pintel murmured absently.

"And how do maids come to own a trinket such as that." the captain said, indicating the medallion. "Family heirloom, perhaps?"

"We didn't steal it, if that's what you mean."

"Very well, you hand it over and we'll put your town to out rudder and ne'er return." Barbossa agreed.

"Lizzie," I murmured warningly.

Hesitantly, Elizabeth strode over to the captain and placed the necklace in his hand. "Our bargain?" she asked.

Barbossa walked away and the Bo'sun began spouting orders. "Still the guns and stow 'em! Signal the men, set the flags and make good to clear the port."

"Wait!" Elizabeth shouted. "You have to take us to shore. According to the Code of the Order of the Brethren—"

"It wasn't part of our agreement, Elizabeth. They won't return us to port." I spoke quietly, keeping my head down.

"First, your return to shore was not part of out negotiations nor our agreement, so I must do nothing. And secondly, you must be a pirate for the pirate's code to apply and you're not. And thirdly, the code is more what you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules. Yer sister be right. Welcome aboard the _Black Pearl_, Miss Turners." Barbossa said mockingly.

Elizabeth screeched in fury as two pirates shoved us into our quarters. "Bloody pirates! How could I let myself be fooled by their trickery?"

"Whoa, Lizzie!" I said. "Calm down, it'll be okay."

"Oh, Rachelle, I'm so sorry I pulled you into this! I took that medallion from Will eight years ago. This is all my fault!"

"Elizabeth!" I startled her out of her distress. "Please, calm yourself. We _will_ work this out. Have faith."

"Rachelle, they're _pirates_! They tricked us onto this ship! How do you think we'll ever find a way off of it?"

"To tell you the truth, I've had plenty of experience with pirates." I sighed reluctantly. I never wanted to remember my past, but now, it seemed inevitable. "Before I came to Port Royal, I certainly had my fair share of time with them."

"But, Rachelle—"

"Enough, Elizabeth. I know you want a proper explanation, but we're dealing with pirates. I'm positive any sleep we can get will be essential. Good night."

She sighed. "Good night, Rachelle."

I heard her lie down on the bed opposite of mine and listened while her breathing grew softer as she succumbed to an uneasy slumber. When I knew she was asleep, I sat up and curled against myself, not allowing my recurring dreams to haunt me in this of all situations.


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is short and sweet, but answers a few of the questions I've received. No worries, all will be completely explained in the next few chapters. Enjoy! :)**

I awoke the next morning unsure of my surroundings. A faint back-and-forth rocking, however, sent my mind reeling as I recalled the previous night's events. Elizabeth and I had called for a parlay, and were now captives aboard the fearsome Black Pearl.

After advising Elizabeth to get some rest the previous evening, I had remained awake for as long as possible my mind was too busy playing through each possible scenario. Even still, after a questionable night's rest, my mind whirred just at the thought of facing the pirates for however long we may reside on the ship. I brushed aside any burgeoning memories for the moment as I heard Elizabeth stirring from the bed along the opposite wall of the cabin. "Morning, Lizzie," I murmured softly.

"Rachelle!" she exclaimed as she shot up, staring around wildly. "Where are we?"

Softly, I reminded her of the previous night's events and she sunk back down onto the lumpy pillow morosely. "This is all my fault," she moaned, repeating her sentiments from before.

"Elizabeth, you've got to _wake up_! It doesn't matter whose fault it is!" I snapped. "What's important now is that we find a way to return safely to Port Royal. These men—these _pirates_ could want any number of things from us. We must defend ourselves and prepare for what may happen next."

She stared at me bewilderedly. It was not often that I berated her as an older sister should. Nodding silently, she sat up and inhaled deeply, letting out the breath with a sigh. "Last night… you said you've dealt with pirates before."

Perching myself next to her on the bed, I sighed and replied softly, "Yes. For many years, I… I sailed with a man—a pirate—who'd raised me as his daughter. We travelled wherever we pleased, until one day we joined the crew of a man who sought a magnificent treasure. One thing led to another and I found myself thrown overboard by some twist of fate. Eventually, I ended up in Port Royal, where you and your father found me and took me in."

"You were a pirate?" Elizabeth gasped.

I nodded hesitantly. "Please, before you judge me, understand that I was never given the choice. I was born into that lifestyle and have been thankful for the chance to live an honest life in Port Royal."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" she admonished. "You knew I always dreamt of meeting a pirate."

Bewildered, I snapped, "And now you've met an entire crew of them!" I stood up, pacing about the room as I continued, "Now, you've realized your dream, Elizabeth. Now, we're both _prisoners_ on a pirate ship. On the _Black Pearl_. Maybe you've never heard the legends, but these are some of the _worst_ pirates sailing the seas!"

_The bright glaring sun seeped first into my consciousness. My body ached all over and I slowly grew aware of the soft melody of waves lapping upon the shore. Where was I? Carefully, I opened my eyes, squinting in the harsh afternoon light; a young girl's sparkling laughter drew my attention to a pair of figures down the beach. I struggled to rise, straining against my protesting muscles._

"_Father, look! Look there in the sand." The girl's voice rang across the shoreline as my weakened frame gave out and I collapsed._

_The pair hurried closer; the father stood awkwardly above me while his daughter knelt down beside me. "Are you alright?" she questioned._

_I shook my head weakly, pressured into silence by my parched throat. The girl gazed hopefully up at her father. "We shall take care of her, and then _she_ can be my new mother!"_

"_No, dear, I should think not." I heard the man reply. "She's much too young to be your mother. Come along, Elizabeth, we shall fetch a doctor to come care for her."_

"_If she cannot be my mother, then she shall be my sister! And then I will not be so lonely while you are working."_

_The girl was adamant and refused to give in to her father's other ideas. At last, her father conceded. "Yes, yes, we will take her in and she shall be your new sister."_

"_Oh, thank you, Father!" she trilled before turning to me. "My name is Elizabeth Swann, and you are to be my new sister. Don't worry, we'll take care of you."_

_I nodded weakly before succumbing to a blissful unconsciousness._


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, hello! I was unhappy with certain aspects of my story, so yes, I did go back and revise. Nothing has changed plot-wise, although I have added extra tidbits of information, should you wish to go back and read the previous chapters, including this one. I hope you all enjoy the changes I've decided to make! And a big thanks to Marie1000 for her excellent review full of wonderful, inspiring contructive criticism!**

The entrance of Pintel and Ragetti startled us from our ponderings as the sun vanished over the horizon. "You'll both be dinin' with the captain. And he requests you wear these." the former instructed, handing us each an elegant dress with a plunging neckline.

"Very well." I sighed reluctantly, knowing better than to say 'no', and took the dress.

"Well, you may tell the captain that I am disinclined to acquiesce to his request." Elizabeth spat.

Pintel smirked and said, "He said you'd say that. He also said if that be the case, you'll be dinin' with the crew… and you'll be naked."

After we changed, the two men escorted us to the captain's cabin, where a grand feast had been set out on the long dining table. Elizabeth sat and began eating daintily as I took my place beside her. "There's no need to stand on ceremony, nor call to impress anyone. You both must be hungry."

Clearly ravenous, my sister dropped her fork and devoured the food with her hands, shoving aside all manners and customs from Port Royal. I, on the other hand, retained my stubborn self-control and watched the scene before me, refusing to eat a bite. "Try the wine. And the apples?" he encouraged, offering her one. "One of those next."

"It's poisoned." she stated, slowly coming to a realization.

"There would be no sense in killing ye, Miss Turner."

"Then release us; you have your trinket. We're of no further value to you." she argued.

Barbossa lifted the medallion from his pocket and dangled it before our eyes. "You don't know what this is, do ye?" he queried.

"It's a pirate medallion." Elizabeth replied nonchalantly.

"No, it's Aztec gold." I corrected from my silent seat at the table. "One of 882 identical pieces the natives delivered in a stone chest to Cortes himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies and elite weaponry. But the greed of Cortes was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold a terrible curse. Any mortal that removes but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity."

"Tis true, Miss Turner. You've done yer homework."

"I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa." Elizabeth stated.

"Aye. That's exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale. Buried on an Island of Dead what cannot be found except for those who know where it is. Found it, we did. There be the chest. Inside be gold. And we took 'em all. We spent 'em and traded 'em and frittered 'em away on drink and food and pleasurable company. The more we gave 'em away, the more we came to realize the drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Turner. Compelled by greed, we were, but now we are consumed by it." I saw Elizabeth sneak a butter knife into her lap. "There is one way we can end our curse. All the scattered pieces of Aztec gold must be restored and the blood repaid. Thanks to ye, we have the final piece."

"And the blood to be repaid?" she asked.

"That's why there be no sense in killin' ye… yet." He offered her another apple. "Apple? Arr." He grunted as she stabbed him with the knife; unharmed, he pulled out the knife and growled, "I'm curious. After killin' me, what was it you were plannin' on doing next?"

Alarmed, Elizabeth ran out on deck and realized the truth of the curse punishing the men surrounding us; I remained seated, an unbidden memory forcing its way into my thoughts.

_The sound of gold coins jingling in a pouch was my guide as I followed a man through the crowded streets of Tortuga; dim light from flickering lanterns lit the way as we maneuvered past drunken men and their wenches. There was no moon to be seen when I glanced at the cloudy night sky, so I continued, careful to keep close to the pirate hurrying towards our destination._

"_Pretty lass ye got there."_

_The voice stopped my guide in his tracks. I couldn't see the speaker clearly, but made out the shape of his silhouette. "Mind yer wandering eyes." he snarled at the man in the shadows. "And take care to keep yer gaze off me girl."_

_Before the man could respond, a sliver of moonlight broke through the clouds and the light spilled over the scene. I peered at the offending stranger and took in his ragged appearance. He was harmless; I could tell that much. My gaze shifted to my guide—my father—and I staggered back in alarm. In the moonlight, his skin had peeled away, leaving nothing save the rotting skeleton._

_A scream echoed in the night before I could restrain myself and I turned on the spot, dashing back to our ship where I fell into the arms of the ship's quartermaster. I sobbed uncontrollably in his embrace and allowed the man, my second father figure, to murmur soothing whispers into my ear._

"Are ye not frightened or intimidated at the least?" Barbossa's voice startled me from the recollection as he stalked back into his cabin.

"No, Captain. I'm not." I stated plainly; my black hair cascaded around my face as his monkey had leapt behind me during the chaos and pulled loose the bun.

"Yer not surprised whatsoever?"

"Not at the curse, no. I've known about it too long to be frightened by its effects; although, I _am_ surprised you haven't recognized me yet, _Father_. I know it's been many years, but I haven't changed that much. Why, little Jack knows who I am." I said, gesturing to the small primate.

It only took a moment, brief and short-lived, for him to recall my identity, and in the moment, guilt flashed across his face. "Rachelle Jones…" he stated in realization. "It _has_ been a long time."

"Ten years, as long as you've been cursed." I reminded him bluntly, rising to my feet. "I was fourteen when you banished Bootstrap to the depths and my foot was tangled in the ropes. We sank to the bottom of the sea, you know, where he saved my life by cutting the line with his knife. It took the last of him, but he cared enough to save me instead of himself. I swam to the surface with just enough strength to grab a piece of driftwood. You were gone; the ship was hardly visible on the horizon."

"Rachelle, I—"

"You were so consumed by your greed that since I refused to touch the cursed gold, you refused to save my life." I glared at him accusingly.

Speechless, Barbossa stood silently in his guilt. Nodding, I spat, "I thought so."

I stormed out of the cabin, keeping my chin up as the pirates jeered at me, and strode defiantly to the cabin Elizabeth and I shared. "Rachelle, are you alright?" she asked as soon as I'd flung open the door.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." I replied, closing the door behind me.

It wasn't until she handed me her handkerchief that I realized my wet cheeks. I supposed I'd discovered the reason the crew had been laughing as I passed—they thought their curse frightened me to tears.

"What happened after I left?" she asked worriedly.

I took a deep breath and looked her in the eye. "He knows who I really am."

"What? That'll get us both killed!" she shrieked.

Shaking my head, I said, "No. Lizzie, do you remember what I told you this morning? Barbossa was the man who raised me. After you left, he asked me why I hadn't reacted, and my response provoked him to remember me. To remember the fate I'd been dealt by his selfishness."

"He was your guardian?" she asked, stunned.

I nodded. "Apparently my parents gave me up just after birth in Tortuga with nothing but my name, so Barbossa took me in and raised me as his own. When I was fourteen, he joined the Black Pearl's crew and I tagged along. That's why I was so tense after realizing Sparrow was your rescuer." I confessed, the thought of my experience with Jack Sparrow flooding to the forefront of my mind.

I glanced down at the fading 'P' brand on my wrist, the brand I'd attained as a mere child, while Elizabeth asked, "Why would you have been tense around him? He had nothing to do with the Black Pearl."

After a long silence, I replied, "He was the captain they mutinied upon."


	7. Chapter 7

**Alrighty, here's the new chapter to go with all of the revising I did. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and/or subscribed to this story! Please enjoy!**

"Time to go, Poppets." We heard the impending phrase just as the door burst open and Pintel barged into the cabin.

The pirate and his companion led us on deck and Barbossa hung the medallion back around Elizabeth's neck. The crew clambered into boats, pulling us along with them, and we sailed into a foreboding cave. Upon arrival, my sister and I were led up to the chest of ancient Aztec gold. "Ten years of hoarding swag." I heard Pintel say to Ragetti.

"And now we finally get to spend it." the other pirate added gleefully as they dumped the contents of a trunk on the ground.

I chuckled softly upon seeing the contents to be women's dresses as the duo picked up a parasol each. Shaking my head, I turned my eyes upon the fearsome pirate captain. He approached the chest and looked from the stone lid to Elizabeth and the medallion. Then, his eyes flickered to meet my gaze. "Do you remember the last time we were here?" I murmured to him.

Instead of responding, Barbossa stood tall, turning to speak to the hoard of pirates. "Gentlemen, the time has come! Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near at end. For ten years we've been tested and tried, and each man jack of you here has proved his mettle a hundred times over and a hundred times again!"

"Suffered, I have." Ragetti announced.

"Punished we were. The lot of us – disproportionate to our crimes!" Barbossa continued his speech. "Here it is—" He kicked off the lid of the chest. "The cursed treasure of Cortes himself. Every last piece that went astray, we have returned—save for this."

The mutinous pirate pointed to the medallion around Elizabeth's neck and I found myself lost in an untold memory.

"_Father, is this the island?" The voice was so young, so foreign to myself that I barely recognized it as my own._

"_La Isla de Muerta," Barbossa whispered longingly. __"Aye, Rachelle, this be the island. At last, a treasure of our own."_

"_Will we go back to rescue Jack?"_

_The captain turned his cold gaze to meet my young eyes. "No, we'll not be doing that."_

"_Oh," I sighed. "I understand. I just thought…" I trailed off, realizing Barbossa's attention had returned to the island._

_Reluctantly, I stepped away from the helm and made my way belowdecks, where it was silent. Well, as silent as a ship could get. The voices of the eager crew barely reached my ears as I travelled further down, until I was in the cargo hold and heard nothing more than the pounding of the sea against the hull. At last, when I was alone, a tear slipped past my strong barriers. Alone, I could weep in peace. Without shame. My father, I feared, was lost to insatiable greed._

The scene shifted, suddenly, to the very chamber in which we stood; quite different from the present, however, was the distinct lack of hoarded treasures.

_I gazed around at the empty cavern as the pirate crew entered around us._

"_There." my father said, pointing a finger at the room's sole occupant—the chest of Cortes._

"_Is this the treasure, Father?"_

_I looked up expectantly for an answer, but the towering pirate captain had already begun moving towards the stone chest. Standing alone and unmoving, I witnessed the scene with increasing detachment._

_The captain himself removed the lid of the chest and stared in awe at the glittering gold as the firelight bounced and glinted off the surface of each coin. With quick haste, each pirate plunged his greedy hands into the chest, scrounging for a small piece of the fortune for themselves. Fists flew and quarrels broke out over the possession of coins scattered on the ground as the scene descended into utter madness._

_From where I stood, I felt my skin crawl as I began to question my involvement here. The query infiltrated my mind and began to fester like an angry wound until I could ignore it no longer. Not knowing what else to do, I dashed away, seeking refuge in the bowels of the _Black Pearl_. One thing I resolved to do immediately. I would not touch a single coin from that chest. I would not succumb to the greed that drove every pirate against a moral compass._

"That's it?" Elizabeth's voice broke me from my short-lived reverie and I glanced down at her hand, where a single cut sliced open her palm.

"Waste not." Barbossa said and dropped the bloodied medallion into the chest.

Anticipation hung in the air as the pirates waited to see if the curse was lifted. "Did it work?" Koehler asked after a few moments.

"I don't feel no different." Ragetti commented.

"How do we tell?" Pintel asked.

BANG! Barbossa had unhesitatingly pulled out his pistol and shot the rotund pirate in the chest. To no effect.

"You're not dead." Koehler stated.

"No." He paused a moment as realization came over him. "He shot me!"

"It didn't work." Ragetti said.

"The curse is still upon us!" Twigg complained loudly.

Barbossa turned to Elizabeth and shouted, "You, maid! Your father, what was his name? Was your father William Turner?"

"No." Elizabeth replied defiantly.

"Where's his child? The child that sailed from England eight years ago, the child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner. Where?" Barbossa shouted and backhanded her so hard that she fell down towards the water below.

"Best kill the other one so as to make sure she's a true Turner!" a pirate shouted from the crowd.

"No!" Barbossa boomed suddenly. "She is not to be harmed."

The crowd erupted into a chorus of "Why not?" and "Are ye mad?".

My head shot up to glare at the crowd. "You're all bloody fools!" I laughed, getting them all to quiet down. "Do you not recognize me?"

"No." Ragetti shook his head.

I laughed louder, the sound resounding through the cave. "I am Rachelle Jones. The girl whose leg was caught in the ropes binding Bootstrap Bill Turner to the cannon. The girl who no one cared to save after she fell into the ocean. The girl who was born and raised of pirate heritage and quickly became a rising power in the Spanish Main. You all must truly be fools. It has only been ten years since every last one of you mangy cowards left me to die in the depths of the ocean."

An eerie silence filled the large cavern. Bo'sun turned to Pintel and Ragetti before declaring, "You two! You brought us the wrong people!"

"No! They had the medallion. They're the proper age!" Pintel protested.

"She said their name was Turner – you heard her! I think she lied to us!" Ragetti declared defensively.

I glanced down at Elizabeth to be sure she was okay and spied Will motioning her to follow him into the water. She grabbed the medallion and, before sliding into the water, she looked up at me; I nodded almost indiscernibly for her to go. It would be impossible for me to escape with them at this point. "You brought us here for nothing." Twigg accused Barbossa.

"I won't take questioning and no second guesses, not from the likes of you, Master Twigg." Barbossa responded.

"Who's to blame? Every decision you've made has led us from bad to worse." Koehler added.

"It was you who sent Bootstrap to the depths!" another pirate added.

"And ordered us not to save Rachelle after we discovered she fell along with him!" Pintel testified.

"And it's you who brought us here in the first place." Bo'sun declared.

"If any coward here dare challenge me, let him speak! Hmm?" Barbossa shouted.

"I say, we cut her throat and spill all her blood, just in case." Koehler said.

Barbossa saw the monkey pointing down below and shouted, "The medallion! She's taken it! Get after her, you feckless pack of ingrates!"

The pirates raced down to the shore and I followed them, hoping to throw them off the trail and aid Elizabeth's escape. "No oars here. Where's the oars?" The question flew among the ranks.

"The oars have gone missing. Find them!" Bo'sun ordered.

Just then, Ragetti spotted Jack, who'd just risen to his feet. "You." Ragetti said.

"You're supposed to be dead!" Pintel accused.

"Am I not?" Jack asked, looking down at himself. "Oh." He turned to flee, but instead found a pistol in his face. Sheepishly, he turned back to his former crew. "Palulay? Palu-li-la-la-lulu, parlili? Parsnip, parsley, par – partner, partner?" he stuttered.

"Parlay?" Ragetti offered.

"That's the one. Parlay! Parlay!" Jack exclaimed.

"Parlay? Down to the depths whatever man that thought up 'parlay'!" Pintel complained.

"That would be the French." I stated before Jack could even open his mouth.

"You." He said and pointed at me. "You're working with them? And here we thought you'd been kidnapped."

"Me?" I asked, stunned. "I would never work with these filthy cowards after what they did to you, me, and Bootstrap."

Jack walked over to me and questioned, "You've met these mutinous pirates before? And Bootstrap, you say? You know of Bootstrap as well, do you?"

"Yes, Jack. Bootstrap was one of my closest friends after my adoptive father and I joined the crew of the _Black Pearl_. You should know that, old friend."

"Rachelle Jones?" He realized as we were led back into the cavern. I nodded assertively, but he countered with a skeptical challenge. "Prove it."

Before I could respond, Barbossa boomed, "How in the blazes did you get off that island?"

"When you marooned me on that godforsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing, mate. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." Jack stated proudly.

"Ah, well, I won't be making that mistake again. Gents, you all remember Captain Jack Sparrow. Kill him."

The pirates all made a move to follow the order, but suddenly, "The girl's blood didn't work, did it?" Jack's voice rose above the din.

"Hold your fire!" Barbossa ordered. "You know whose blood we need?"

"I know whose blood you need." Jack grinned.


	8. Chapter 8

**Once again, a big thanks to everyone who has reviewed! It really brightens my day to see some of the great feedback I've been getting! And, of course, thank you to all my readers!**

The wind whipped around me as the Black Pearl cut across the water. Since Jack revealed his knowledge of the final key to breaking the skeletal pirates' curse, we had rowed out to the ship to reach an agreement while the crew led the pursuit of the escaped medallion.

I stood at the railing on the larboard side, watching as we descended upon the _Interceptor_. While memories threatened to overwhelm me and bombard my thoughts incessantly, the familiarity of the ship did have a soothing effect on my soul. The mere fact that I had returned, however briefly it may last, to life on the sea was enough to whisk away any worries I held in Port Royal.

"Did you have a question, or are you just content to stare?"

I threw the question over my shoulder at the two men who were watching me carefully; it pleased me to see how startled they were at my notice. "Beg your pardon, Miss Rachelle," Ragetti stammered. "We was just wonderin'…"

"Is it really you?" Pintel finished sheepishly.

Slowly, I turned to face them. "Aye," I nodded. "However long lost I may have been, ye found me. Seems only fate that your final cursed medallion should land so close to me, eh?"

The pirates nodded in unison, still seeming in awe at my return. "Best return to your work, men," I ordered, sensing their unease. "The Bo'sun just went to fetch Barbossa back on deck."

Nervously, they scurried away. 'Just in time,' I thought wryly as the Captain returned to the deck.

My father and his former captain sauntered over to the larboard side railing, coming to rest just to the left of me. Jack stepped in front of Barbossa's spyglass as he peered at the Interceptor. "I'm having a thought here, Barbossa. What say we run up a flag of truce? The lass and I scurry over to the Interceptor, and we negotiate the return of your medallion, eh? What say you to that?"

"Now you see, Jack, that's exactly the attitude that lost you the Pearl. People are easy to search when they're dead." Barbossa turned to Bo'sun and said, "Lock them in the brig."

"What?" I shrieked as we were dragged away. "To think I called you my Father! So much for always sticking together, right, _Hector_?" I added mockingly in my fury.

Once we were out of sight of that mutinous, betraying bastard, I ceased my attempts to escape and allowed myself to be thrown brutally into a cell with Jack, who sloshed in the water. "Apparently there's a leak." he commented drily.

I rolled my eyes and wiped away my furious tears with a small laugh. Looking up at my cellmate, I pulled back my sleeve and held out my branded wrist to him, saying, "Little Pirate Lass."

"What?" he asked, confused.

"You asked me to prove that I am Rachelle Jones." I responded matter-of-factly. "When I was still a growing child aboard the _Black Pearl_, you, Barbossa, and I were the only ones with a pirate brand. Being a child, I tried to make light of it. So proud was I of my label that there would be times where I would only respond to the title 'Little Pirate Lass'."

My cellmate sighed, walked over to me, and said, "So, Rachelle, you survived."

I nodded. "Yes." I answered quietly, growing suddenly nervous at his proximity to me.

"I knew I recognized you that day I rescued your sister. Or, rather, adoptive sister." he corrected himself.

"Yes, Jack, her family adopted me after I washed upon the shores of Port Royal. You see, after that scum I called Father abandoned you on that wretched island, Bootstrap spoke out against leaving you behind. Barbossa strapped a cannon to Bootstrap's bootstraps and tossed him overboard. Unbeknownst to everyone, my leg was caught in one of the ropes. I was sent overboard as well, but no one cared to jump in after me. The cannon sunk fast, but Bootstrap was faster. He cut me free with the last of his strength instead of saving himself. When I reached the surface, the _Pearl_ was gone. So, I latched on to a piece of driftwood and floated to Nassau. Eventually, I ended up in Port Royal, where I lived for eight years with Elizabeth's family before being recaptured by this lot."

"I'm speechless, love."

Suddently, the ship jerked towards the port side, sending me sprawling into his embrace. "No need for words, _Captain_." I said, pushing myself away. "It's been a rough journey, but I've managed to survive."

He sidled closer and wrapped a comforting arm around my shoulders. "I certainly missed ye, darling." he whispered, laying on his Sparrow charm.

"Jack," I sighed. "Ten years is a long time. We can't just pick up where we left off. I've grown a lot since then."

"I've noticed." Jack murmured, his eyes sweeping up and down my curvy figure.

I smacked his chest with the back of my hand. "_Jack!_"

"Sorry, love, you know I couldn't resist. Thanks for that."

"I meant I've grown mentally as well as physically, Jack. I'm not a naïve little teenager anymore. Port Royal's educated and changed me from my pirate lifestyle. I'm not the adventurous, risk-taking little girl I used to be. I'm nearly twenty-five and most definitely a young woman now." I explained.

"I know, Rachelle." he sighed. "I suppose I'm just being optimistic. I know I'm a few years older than ye, but I just… I never stopped thinking about you after you tried to stop Barbossa from leaving me on that island. All because of that bloody treasure."

"Stop pretending, Jack. We both know that the real reason for Barbossa's mutiny was because of me. He doesn't want us to be together, so he left you on that wretched island and just told everyone that it was because you were unfit to be captain. Jack, everyone thought you were the best captain a pirate could ever have. You're smart, witty, and sometimes daft, but for the right reasons. You do what's best for your crew, not only yourself. That's the major difference between the two of you. Barbossa may know nautical nonsense, but you know what it takes to run a crew without instilling fear in their hearts."

"I—I don't know what to say, darling. Ye truly are the perfect girl for me. How'd I survive without you all these years?" he murmured, nuzzling his face into my neck.

I moaned at his gentle touch, but before I could respond, cannon fire began and a hole was blown in the hull of the _Black Pearl_. "Stop blowing holes in my ship!" Jack exclaimed, standing upright.

I tugged on his sleeve and pointed at the door of our cell. "Jack!"

"Not now, love! _My_ crew is blowing holes in _my_ ship!"

"No, Jack, look!" I turned his head to face the cell door, upon which the lock had been blasted apart by the cannon fire.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry about the wait on this chapter! I just couldn't manage to get the ending to flow how I wanted. Alas, it is done and I hope you enjoy it! Reviews are always encouraged and really brighten my day. I love getting your feedback and ideas.**

**Chapter 9**

"They're bloody mad!" I exclaimed, reaching tentatively for the door and gently swinging it open.

Gazing around, I found the flooring littered with various supplies from the other ship. Forks, spoons, and mostly knives—the Interceptor lacked so much in ammunition that the rag-tag fighting crew was using cutlery! I bent down curiously to see Gibbs' canteen lying on the ground. Jack took a swig from it, but, to his dismay, realized a distinct lack of rum.

Scrambling up to the deck, we each grabbed a rope, and I, a weapon, before swinging aboard the _Interceptor_. Gibbs spotted us with a shout. "Jack!"

"Bloody empty." the captain grumbled, handing him the canteen as he drew his sword.

I leapt into action, disarming a pirate that moved to attack Elizabeth while Jack aided with her current adversary.

"That's not very nice." Jack said to the man before turning to my adoptive sister and asking, "Where's the medallion?"

"Wretch!" she shouted and was about to slap him when I grabbed her wrist.

"Elizabeth. He's trying to help." I soothed.

Without hesitation, she engulfed me in a hug. "Rachelle! I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Ahh. Where's dear William?" Jack interrupted our reunion, glancing at the bandage encircling her palm.

"Will?" Elizabeth and I shouted; we gazed around frantically before Elizabeth spied him trapped under a grate. "Will!"

"Elizabeth! Rachelle!" he called back desperately as water leaked into the cabin.

Barbossa's pet leapt towards him, grasping the medallion from his hand. "Monkey!" I heard Jack exclaim as the undead creature scurried away.

The pirate captain pursued the thief as Elizabeth and I tried to move the mast burying the grate. "We can't move it!" Elizabeth shouted before an undead member of Barbossa's crew pulled her towards the _Pearl_. "Will!"

"Elizabeth!" the two of us called after her in unison.

As I took a step to run after her, the deck beneath me collapsed, plunging me into the waterlogged cabin belowdecks. With a thud, my skull collided with a fallen support beam and stars speckled my vision. "Rachelle!" a voice called; following the sound of sloshing water, two arms heaved me higher out of the water as it continued to flood the cabin.

"Will?" I gurgled, spitting out seawater as I tried to regain my sense of equilibrium.

I struggled to remain conscious as Will rattled my shoulders urgently. "Come on," he pressed. "You need to stay awake, Rachelle. We've got to get out of here!"

I nodded slightly and followed him to the floor of the waterlogged cabin as the ship exploded into little pieces. I hoped Will knew what he was doing.

After diving below the surface to escape the blast, we burst to the surface, breathing deeply before scaling up to the deck of the _Pearl_. "Barbossa!" Will shouted bravely, gripping the ship's rigging as he balanced precariously on the railing.

I, on the other hand, stumbled onto the deck and wavered weakly as I heard Elizabeth breathe our names in relief. Looking around, my gaze fell on Jack, and then shifted to my father, as I collapsed to the deck. I saw Barbossa's firm stance soften momentarily before recalling why he had sentenced me to the brig at all.

The subsequent conversation fell over me as nonsensical mumblings; my head pounded viciously from its impact with the _Interceptor_ and a prickling pain in my side trickled into my consciousness. Glancing down, I noticed blood dripping from a deep-looking slice in my abdomen, which must have resulted from the brief battle aboard the _Interceptor_. I groaned audibly, gripping my head as my world began to spin and everything fell out of focus. Two blurry figures shuffled over as a sharp order from Barbossa spurred the rest of the _Pearl_'s crew into action.

"Are you alright, Rachelle?" Ragetti asked hesitantly.

The second man, who I assumed to be Pintel, punched his arm. "Of course she's not alright! She looks a bloody mess!"

I cringed, pulling my head closer to my chest as if I could block out their angry noise. The pair bickered a moment longer before Ragetti leaned over me again. He said something to his friend and I felt them lifting me as gently as a pair of undead pirates could. I soon found myself in the shade, as the two men had shuffled me over to sit under the stairs, where I would remain out of the crew's way.

Roughly an hour passed and I sat unmoving. My eyes were screwed shut in pain; my breathing, shallow and labored. Will and Barbossa, it seemed, managed to make a deal and the _Pearl_ was en route to our next destination. My side had been left unattended as the injury went unnoticed. Soon enough, the ship slowed to a stop and a crewman lowered the anchor.

"Bring her!" Barbossa barked to the crew; moments later, I felt a rough tug on my arm as Bo'sun dragged me to the side of the ship.

A shove at my back left me stumbling out onto a plank and as I looked down at the sea, I caught a glimpse of my own reflection. My jet black hair cascaded around my face in an unkempt fashion and my tattered dress, long since ruined in the battle, was drenched in my own blood.

I glanced back at Barbossa, and then at Will, who spewed insults at the_ Pearl_'s captain. Turning around to resignedly face my fate, I made to jump into the water when, suddenly, a voice erupted from amid the crew. "Are ye really heartless enough to send the child who be like yer daughter to the depths, Hector Barbossa?"

The man in question whirled around to face the crowd and bellowed, "And who be ye to challenge me decisions?"

A figure clothed in a dark brown cloak stepped through the parting crowd of pirates. "I am the child's great-aunt."

Barbossa stared at her and, for once, didn't have a rebuttal as she outstretched her hand and pulled me back on the ship. I stumbled into her, inhaling a crisp scent of lavender as I gasped audibly at the pain ricocheting up my abdomen. Doubling over in agony, I tumbled towards the deck, but the woman's firm grip on my arm kept me upright. I raised a weak hand to my forehead as my vision blurred and I wavered on the edge of consciousness.

A man broke from the ranks of the crew of the _Black Pearl_ and took me into his arms, allowing the woman to confront Barbossa fully. She drew herself up and stepped in his direction. Full of fury and righteousness, the woman, despite a distinctly smaller stature than the towering captain before her, seemed to be lecturing my former caretaker; the words, however, washed over me unheard.

As the Pirate Lord and the strange woman faced off, another man joined the one present in carrying me into a cabin as I continued to grow weaker. I was acutely aware of being placed on a bed as one man procured a small dagger from somewhere in the room and sliced away a section of my dress. Harsh salty air struck the wound anew, causing me to hiss in pain.

I groaned as someone came sloshing in with a bucket of what smelled like rum and began to wash the slice in my abdomen. Gritting my teeth, I finally succumbed to unconsciousness as one of the two figures placed a gentle, soothing hand on my forehead.


	10. Chapter 10

**A big thanks to everyone who has subscribed to/favorited this story since my last update! It means a lot! There were no reviews, which surprised me because I expected some questions from my lovely, inquiring readers. Ah well, I hope you're all still enjoying this story and if you would be so kind as to review, that'd be splendid! :)**

**Chapter 10**

"That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship."

Needless to say, Captain Jack Sparrow was not having a good day. First, his mutinous first mate locked him up in the brig; and now, the woman he loved, after a brief reunion, was in some ungodly condition of pain while he was marooned for a _second_ time by Hector Barbossa. In the very least, he supposed, this time the company was infinitesimally better.

Good God, he needed a drink.

Rum. Rum was good.

Wavering slightly as his legs sunk into the sand, Jack Sparrow trudged grouchily up the beach and towards a patch of weathered palm trees.

His partner-in-being-stuck-on-this-godforsaken-spit-of-land, Elizabeth, followed in pursuit. "But you were marooned on this island before, weren't you? So we can escape in the same way you did then." she protested.

"To what point and purpose, young missy? The _Black Pearl_ is gone and unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails hidden in that bodice – unlikely – young Mr. Turner will be dead long before you can reach him."

'And Rachelle will be long lost,' he added to himself. 'Again.'

Perhaps, if he was lucky, he could be reunited with her in less than ten years this time.

"What about Rachelle?" Elizabeth challenged. "She cares for you, Captain Sparrow! She told me how you were captain of the _Pearl_ before Barbossa mutinied against you. She told me you were a great captain and good man, Jack. She obviously loves you in return because even if I was swaying on the line of unconsciousness, I wouldn't let you undress me in the manner that you did to her." Her voice softened. "She's my older sister, Jack. If we just let her die, I don't know what I'd do knowing that we didn't even try to help her."

She paused, waiting for a response as he ignored her and knocked instead on a tree trunk. "Honestly, Captain Sparrow, it's obvious you have feelings for her in return."

Instantly, the man shot back. "_Stirrings_. Perhaps. Perhaps, I may have once had stirrings of fe—I may once have cared for her _a little._" Jack paused, catching sight of the skeptical look on Elizabeth's face, and exclaimed, "Alright, yes, I may very well love her. Yes, I'd probably kill myself if we got off this island and let her be killed. But we're not going to get off this island, love."

Turning a complete about-face, he took four steps before jumping up and down a few times.

"But you're Captain Jack Sparrow. You vanished from under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Trading Company. You sacked Nassau Port without even firing a single shot. Are you the pirate I've read about or not? How did you escape last time?" Elizabeth demanded.

"Last time, I was here a grand total of three days, alright? Last time,"—He opened a secret cellar door—"the rumrunners used this island as a cache. Came by, and I was able to barter a passage off. From the looks of things, they've long been out of business. Probably have your bloody friend Norrington to thank for that." Jack said bitterly and climbed out of the cellar with two bottles of rum in his hands.

"So that's it then? That's the secret grand adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow? You spent three days lying on the beach, drinking rum?" she exclaimed.

"Welcome to the Caribbean, love." he said nonchalantly and handed her one of the bottles.

By the glint that he caught in the opposing woman's eyes, he knew her thoughts were racing and, soon enough, would have some half-brained, womanly scheme to attempt an escape. But it wouldn't work. It could never work.

xxxxxxxx

As Jack Sparrow marched away with a bottle of rum, a pair of eyes watched his back as he settled down into the sand.

"_Welcome to the Caribbean, love."_

Elizabeth Swann could just slap the condescension of his face! With a final glare of contempt, she turned in the opposite direction and stormed away, seeking respite on the other side of the half-mile wide piece of land.

Staring at the waves as they lapped uncaringly, rhythmically upon the shore, the governor's daughter knew she had to get off the island to save her friends. And Jack Sparrow would be no help. She knew that. He was a pirate. And a man.

_The only man a woman can depend on is her father._

The phrase surfaced in her mind and she vaguely recalled agreeing with the friend that had said that to her.

Her father.

It hit her instantly. Weatherby Swann was the governor of Port Royal. Surely he would be searching the entire Caribbean for his two daughters! Not to mention the Commodore had just recently proposed to her! Elizabeth only needed a signal—a fire, maybe—to flag down one of His Majesty's Ships, and she was off this wretched island. Then, they could all go to save Rachelle _and_ Will!

Elizabeth glanced down at the bottle of rum in her hand. So long as she got Jack drunk enough, he would need a very long, undisturbed rest to sleep off his hangover. And if there was enough alcohol left over, a fire would be easy enough to keep burning.

xxxxxxxx

"We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs. Drink up me 'earties you ho! Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me!" the marooned pair sang loudly as they galloped in circles around their fire.

"I love this song! Really bad eggs!" Jack exclaimed before falling to the ground. "Ooh. When I get the _Pearl _back, I'm gonna teach it to the whole crew, and we'll sing it all the time!"

"And you'll be positively the most fearsome pirate in the Spanish Main." Elizabeth drawled, leaning towards him as she collapsed beside him.

"Not just the Spanish Main, love. The entire ocean. The entire wo'ld. Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keep and a hull and a deck and sails, that's what a ships needs, but what a ship is—what the _Black Pearl_ really is—is freedom."

"Jack… it must be really terrible for you to be trapped on this island."

"Oh yes," the pirate sighed, draping an arm around her shoulders. "But the company is infinitely better than last time, I think. The scenery has definitely improved."

"Mr. Sparrow, I'm not entirely sure that I've had enough rum to allow that kind of talk." Elizabeth chastised him, exuding false drunkenness.

"I know exactly what you mean, love."

The governor's daughter sent up a prayer of thanks that the pirate was already drunk enough to fall for her act.

Jack curled the ends of his moustache as Elizabeth held her bottle up to toast him. "To freedom." she announced.

"To the _Black Pearl_." he corrected before downing the entire bottle and slouching over in a vegetative unconsciousness.

Smirking victoriously, Elizabeth leaned away from the man and his putrid stench of alcohol. She tossed her near-full bottle of rum into the tongues of the fire, which licked around the bottle curiously; its contents burst into flame as she stood.

In the dark of the night, the woman set to work hauling crates of rum from the cellar and organizing them in a perfectly flammable arrangement. When she was finally satisfied, and had set plenty of crates aside to keep the blaze alive, she carved a shallow seat in the sand and laid down to sleep. In the morning, she would light her signal fire and saving grace.

xxxxxxxx

The stench of an ill-conceived plan awoke Captain Jack Sparrow from his slumber the following day as the sun was nearing its peak in the sky. Or was it smoke? Yes, yes, most certainly the smell was eminating from a cloud of smoke. Likely, that pillar filtering into the sky. Sitting upright, Jack followed the column with his gaze until a fire, bright and consuming half of the small island, caught his eye.

"No! Not good! Stop! Not good!" he yelped, flying over to Elizabeth, who tossed a final crate onto her blaze. "What are you doing? You burned all the food, the shade! The rum!"

"Yes, the rum is gone." the woman stated.

"Why is the rum gone?"

Turning on her heel, Elizabeth snapped, "One, because it is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels." Jack looked slightly offended. "Two, that signal is over a thousand feet high." she continued. "The entire Royal Navy is out looking for Rachelle and me; do you really think that there is even the slightest chance that they won't see it?"

"But why is the rum gone?"

Elizabeth sat down assertively to stare at the horizon. "Just wait, Captain Sparrow. You give it one hour, maybe two; keep a weather eye out and then you will see white sails on that horizon." she told him.

The gall of that infuriating, vile, rum-burning wretch! Jack withdrew his pistol and took aim at the back of her skull. No, Rachelle would not be pleased. Even if he would never see her again, he could not bear it. Decidedly placing the gun back in its holster, he stalked off down the beach, imitating Elizabeth as he went. "'Must've been terrible for you to be trapped here, Jack. Must've been terrible for you.' Well it bloody is now!" he exclaimed, whirling around to yell in the general direction of her presence.

Glancing over the sea, he spotted a speck of white on the horizon – the _Dauntless_ had arrived. "There'll be no living with her after this." he scowled.

A half-brained, womanly scheme indeed.


	11. Chapter 11

**Rachelle's back in this chapter! Thanks to Leyshla Gisel and esinger for their reviews last chapter and to everyone else who followed/favorited this story so far! It means a lot that you all are sticking with me. As always, feedback is much appreciated and reviews totally brighten my day.**

**Chapter 11**

My eyes fluttered open, taking in the image of my blacksmith friend in a dimly lit space. "Will? What's going on? How'd I end up in here again?" I asked groggily, looking around to see that we were locked in our own cell in the brig.

I sat upright slowly, feeling the bandage wrapped around my waist and noticing my dress had been replaced by a deep green midriff top and tan leather breeches. Will ignored my questions and instead asked one of his own. "How are you feeling, Rachelle?"

"Like I found myself at the wrong end of a blade." I smirked wryly, clutching my pierced abdomen. "What happened?"

"When you fell to the deck, Jack and I took you into Barbossa's cabin where we cleaned your wound and Jack…" Will trailed off, looking embarrassed. "He, um, pulled off your dress. Elizabeth found those clothes and, um, put you in them." he finished, gesturing awkwardly to my new attire.

I nodded and, noticing a distinct lack of concerned fluttering and drunken flirting, I asked, "Where's… Where're Jack and Elizabeth?"

"Well, Jack was with you at first, but Barbossa wouldn't let him stay after he saw that Jack had taken off your clothes." Will explained, avoiding mention of my sister.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course," I sighed. "He never liked us to even speak together."

"Wait, I'm a little confused. What did that woman mean, 'you are like a child to Barbossa'? And how'd you know Jack before he threatened you a couple of days ago?"

"First, what happened to Elizabeth? Where is she?" I demanded to know.

Will sighed, looking morose. "Barbossa made her and Jack walk the plank. He marooned them on that island."

My eyes widened and I felt a tear slide down my cheek. "No…"

"I'm sorry, Rachelle. I tried to stop Barbossa, but there was nothing I could do."

I nodded slowly, biting my tongue to keep a stream of angry curses from passing my lips.

"Some clarification on that woman would be nice, too, you know." a pirate from Jack's hired crew piped up.

Taking a deep breath, I launched into a weary explanation. With everyone—even Pintel and Ragetti, who were scrubbing the deck—hanging on my every word, I went into detail of my life story—although only slightly more than I had provided Elizabeth. From Tortuga, to the _Pearl_, to Port Royal, they heard my tale.

I told them how I was raised on the sea amid fearsome pirates, how Jack and I fell in love at the start, and, regrettably, how Barbossa killed Bootstrap. With Pintel and Ragetti in the room, I often paused while they added details that I had forgotten or chosen to leave out.

By the time I finished, Will stared at me apprehensively, as though he had a million more questions to ask. But only one left his lips. "You knew my father?" he murmured quietly.

With a nod, I answered, "He was a good man, Will. He was my closest friend aboard the _Pearl_. As I said, when I fell overboard nine and a half years ago, he saved my life instead of saving himself and letting me drown. From the day we met, I could tell were you just like your father. Noble, kind, caring, intelligent, wise…"

I broke off, swallowing the tears that threatened to fall, and looked my friend in the eye. "Will, I may love Jack as you love Elizabeth, but I value you and your father, and the friendship you both have given me, more than anyone or anything in the whole wide world. I know that if I _ever_ need _anything_, that I can ask you for help. I know that I can depend on you and you will try your hardest to help me out."

Silence filled the brig as Will and I held a silent stare-off. I knew his thoughts were whirling as he digested, once and for all, that his father was a pirate. "I never knew… I never would have guessed that, for as dead set I was against them, I would count pirates as my family."

"And now?"

"Now, I must accept what I thought were lies from Jack Sparrow. I want to believe that my father was an honorable merchant, but… it seems now that the evidence is against my will."

I watched him carefully as he stood in the opposite corner of our cell, looking as though he were deep in contemplation. Suddenly, Barbossa came barreling halfway down the stairs and threw Ragetti the keys to our cell. "Bring him, leave her." he commanded sharply.

Pintel pulled my friend away roughly, leaving me alone next to Jack's crew. I slumped back against the wall, watching the group leave without so much as a glance. The air felt tense and I wished suddenly that I had not confessed my past to such an honorable man. Yet, my friend deserved to know the truth. Truly, if he was a friend, he would accept me with my past and realize that I do not live for the past anymore. That I wished a return to normalcy.

"So… you're Rachelle Jones, you say?" I heard someone ask, jolting me from my thoughts.

"Aye, I am." I affirmed, looking over at the other cell's occupants. "It's been many years since I've been addressed as Jones, though. As you heard, Governor Swann of Port Royal adopted me when I washed upon his shores."

"And… you were really a crew member of the _Black Pearl_?" a different pirate, the short one, questioned.

"Aye, many years ago, when Jack was captain—before that bastard Barbossa mutinied against him and left me to be claimed by the depths of Davy Jones' Locker."

"Jack mentioned you on a number of occasions." Gibbs, the first to have spoken, commented. "Said you were a fine young lass who would remain loyal to those who were loyal to you. Nearly drunk himself to death when news came 'round that you'd been lost to the sea."

My eyes grew wide and I sat up straight. "He did?"

"Aye, it's obvious he cares for ye, Rachelle. I had to stop 'im and tell him that killing himself would do him no better. Told him someone who looked like you had been spotted in Nassau after it'd happened. He didn't believe it, but it stopped him from drinking himself to the death."

"Half-barrel hinges." I murmured, my gaze having come to rest on the item in question.

I stood up abruptly and dragged the bench over to the cell door. Knowing many of Will's blacksmith tricks, I swiftly broke open the door with a loud bang. "I have to help Will!"

Leaving Jack's more than likely confused crew behind, I snuck above deck and past our two guards, who were staring longingly at a hearty plate of food. Silently, I lowered the one of the remaining dinghies and sailed into the mouth of the cavern, following the path we'd taken previously. Movement among the piles of gold caught my eye as I saw a man making his way towards the crowd of cursed pirates.

Recognizing him, I stealthily approached from behind and whispered into his ear. "Hello, Jack."

The pirate captain jumped and looked back at me strangely. "Rachelle, don't do that again, love."

I shrugged off his weird look and queried, "How'd you get off that island? Is Elizabeth alright?"

"That story is for another day and yes, that vile, rum-burning woman is safely aboard the Dauntless."

He moved to walk into the crowd of pirates when I put a hand and his shoulder and pulled him back. "Jack… Thank you," I reached up and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for thinking on your feet and probably saving my life. I—"

The pirate captain swiftly interrupted my short-lived profession of gratitude by crashing his lips onto mine. Instantly, a passion that vanished a decade prior rekindled in my heart, leaping joyously as I closed my eyes and melted into the kiss. My back hit the wall and we stood in lip-locked bliss before I gently pushed him away and murmured, "We've got to help, Will."

A frustrated sigh escaped his lips at the parting. "The eunuch?" At my stern glare, he shrugged and added, "I suppose he has grown on me. Natural pirate, that one. What was your plan, Little Pirate Lass?"

I chuckled. "Didn't have one."

"Ah, always the best game plan for a pirate such as yourself or myself. My favorite, mind you. Well, if I know Barbossa, then I know if I walk in there, he'll stop whatever he's doing and—"

"Well, go then! We haven't much time to spare!" I instructed, ushering him into the main cavern.


	12. Chapter 12

**A big thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorite/alerted after the last chapter! I love knowing that you all are enjoying my work.**

**Chapter 12**

In true pirate fashion, we crept into the main cavern and slid in amid the horde of cursed men. Jack cut defiantly through the crowd as anticipation swelled among them. "Beg your pardon," he said loudly over the steadily growing chanting of the crew.

I kept to the edge of the crowd, eyeing the mounds of treasure that glittered in the firelight. Back up at the chest of gold, Barbossa moved to start the ritual once more. "Begun by blood—" he announced.

The chant lulled as voices dropped out, watching Jack in confusion as he continued to slip through the crowd. "Excuse me," he announced, stepping between two men to reach the front of the swarm.

"By blood un—"

"Jack!" Will exclaimed as the pirate caught his eye.

"S'not possible." Barbossa stated, bewildered.

"Not probable." Jack corrected with a smirk.

"Where's Elizabeth?" Will inquired hastily.

"She's safe, just like _I_ promised." Jack said, trying to step up to the chest, but Bo'sun grabbed his shoulder and held him back. "She's all set to marry Norrington, just like _she_ promised."

That caught my attention and my gaze shifted up to Will in surprise. The blacksmith features drew into an expression of disgust and disappointment, but Jack continued on insensibly, "And you get to die for her, just like _you_ promised. So we're all men of our word, really, except for Elizabeth who is, in fact, a woman."

"Shut up! You're next." Barbossa barked sharply and leaned in to slit Will's throat.

"You don't want to be doing that, mate."

Leaving the affairs in Jack's hands, I turned my attention to the hoard of plunder littering the chamber. My eyes swept across the mounds of gold and I allowed another memory to enter the forefront of my mind—this time, one much older than those I had previously allowed myself to recall.

_My father and I sailed under many captains before we joined the crew of a ship that actually brought in a decent profit. The _Wauchula_ was captained by a strong sailor from lands north of the Caribbean and crewed mostly by people of his own tribe. Barbossa and I, however, had secured our positions through the knowledge we carried of the waters in and around the sea. My father worked as the captain's navigator while I nimbly worked my way around the rigging, although I mainly kept to the crow's nest as a lookout._

_It was only after nearly seven months aboard the ship that we brought in our first big haul. I stayed aloft in the rigging while the crew fought for control of the vessel we'd attacked. A Spanish treasure galleon, I'd learned later. The battle was fierce and bloody, truly the first real bloodshed I'd seen in my young life. Indeed, for a first-time experience in battle, it was the worst for a young girl to see._

_Spilt blood stained the decks of both ships for what would be months afterwards and even though I was positioned high above the battle, the screaming voices of the dying still reached my young ears. For some unmemorable reason, I made my way down the ropes and into the fray, balancing my small sword in my hands. A frightful scream caught my ears and I whirled to face an opponent in just the right amount of time._

_Metal clashed against metal as I lifted my blade for a hasty block. We exchanged a few blows, each meeting the other's attack with their sword. In my panic-stricken fog, I managed to grasp onto a move Father had taught me shortly after presenting me with my own blade. So, instead of blocking the next swing, I parried, sliding my blade along the attacker's as I stepped to the side. In one smooth motion, I instinctively brought up my sword; the blade caught the front of his shirt, slicing deeply through the flesh._

_My attacker collapsed in a moaning heap of blood as his insides threatened to spill out of his gut. In an instant, my sword clattered to the deck as I released it in horror. I stumbled away from the man, watching as his life seeped into nothingness._

"_Kid!"_

_The captain's voice caught my attention and my head snapped away from the corpse to catch his gaze. The copper-skinned man nodded approvingly before stalking over to the dead man and roughly pulling a ring from the corpse's gnarled fingers. There was a flash of gold and I caught the ring in my small fingers, gazing at my small prize. The blood-red ruby glinted in the sunlight as the shock of my first kill sunk in._

Barbossa's voice, mentioning the fate of my young friend, brought me back to my senses. "I s'pose in exchange, you want me not to kill the whelp?"

"No, no, no, by all means, kill the whelp." Jack conceded. "Just not yet. Wait to lift the curse until the opportune moment. For instance," He picked up a handful of medallions from the chest. "After you've killed Norrington's men—" He began to toss them back one by one. "Every – last – one."

I saw the sleight of hand that allowed the pirate to keep one of the cursed coins pocketed away and, apparently, so did Will.

"You've been planning this from the beginning." the blacksmith accused. "Ever since you learned my name."

"Yeah," the pirate shrugged.

"I want fifty percent of your plunder." Barbossa negotiated, ignoring the short exchange.

"Fifteen." Jack argued back.

"Forty."

"Twenty-five. And I'll buy you a hat. A really big one… Commodore."

"We have an accord." Barbossa agreed and they shook hands.

"All hands to the boats!" Jack exclaimed, but glanced at his former first mate. "Apologies. You give the orders."

"Gents, take a walk."

The pirates grinned and began to walking away; Jack, discreetly alarmed, said, "Not to the boats?"

Keeping out of the way of the undead pirates, I slid unseen up to a pile of swords near the chest as most of the crew set out to battle the British soldiers in the bay. A silence descended upon the remaining occupants of the cavern as Jack unabashedly started inspecting the hoard of glinting gold.

At long last, Barbossa's voice descended upon us, blasting through the silence. "I must admit, Jack, I thought I had ye figured. But it turns out you're a hard man to predict."

"Me? I'm dishonest. And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly, it's the honest ones you want to watch out for because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly… stupid."

Jack threw a sword to Will before swinging at Barbossa. "You're off the edge of the map, mate. Here there be monsters." the man who'd raised me snarled at his former captain.

I leapt into the fray, cutting instantly through Will's bonds before whirling around to meet a pirate's blade with my own.

"How'd you escape?" my opponent queried as we dueled, realizing with a start with whom he'd crossed blades.

"It's all a matter of the right leverage, mate." I snarled, plunging my blade with practiced ease into his heart.

Without hesitation, Will backed his opponent into my skeletal foe and we skewered them together with a firm thrust, shoving our blades through their undead flesh. A firm kick sent the pair sprawling into the wall, where they collapsed to the ground without a word. The clang of metal on metal met my ears as I shoved Will aside and brought up my second sword up to block on oncoming attack.

"Thanks," Will breathed, picking himself up from the ground as I quickly beheaded the skeleton before me.

I turned, giving him a nod of affirmation as he picked up a new sword; in unison, we faced the rest of our pirate opponents, ready to fight for our lives.

**Not too much about Rachelle in this chapter, but more will be coming soon! Also, just a heads up, school will be restarting in just over a week, so I will try to keep updates as frequent as possible and finish as much as I can before I'm buried under a mountain of studying.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello all! So, this chapter was a pain to write, but I finally figured out how to play everything out. Please let me know what you think! As always, thank you to my lovely reviewers and loyal readers. Also, thanks to all my new readers who have just joined since I posted the previous chapter.**

**Chapter 13**

Lunge, block, slice, block, step to the left and strike.

Metal clanged against metal, echoing throughout the cavern as the battle broke out. Success was beheld by neither side, as the pirates could not be killed and each attack was blocked with practiced ease.

Despite the unfortunate circumstances, it felt rejuvenating to hold a proper blade again; it was although an extension of my arm had been reattached. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I whirled through the fray, blocking the everlasting onslaught of attacks. Will and I moved in tandem, a perfect duo of skilled duelists as we constantly prevented potentially fatal attacks from making contact with the other's flesh.

"You can't beat me, Jack." The skeletal pirate captain's mocking voice pulled at my ears as I repositioned myself to keep an eye on their duel.

The former captain of the _Pearl_ reached out and stabbed Barbossa, who sighed and impaled his unarmed opponent in return. I gasped in horror, almost dropping my blade before Jack stumbled back into the moonlight, revealing himself as the latest victim of the curse. "That's interesting…" the newly skeleton pirate sighed before glancing up at Barbossa and flipping a gold coin across his fingers. "I couldn't resist, mate."

Barbossa growled and restarted the vicious duel. I stood transfixed for a moment before a gruff voice caught my attention. "They're be no escape for ye this time, Rachelle!" a cursed pirate exclaimed and took a wild swing at me.

Turning just in time, I met his blade with a lazy block and replied in a bored, sarcastic tone, "You're right, because I'm just going to let you kill me after all this effort."

I delivered a hook kick to his jaw, the force of the blow spinning his head around so that he was seeing behind him. Another well placed kick sent him sprawling to the floor, landing flat on his face. Rising to his feet, he growled, "I'm gonna teach you the meaning of pain."

"You like pain?" Elizabeth's voice rang out, stopping me in my tracks as I moved to intercept the man's blade. The blonde woman knocked my attacker off his feet by sweeping a heavy pole across his midsection and spat, "Try wearing a corset."

Sheathing my sword, I hugged her tightly. "You're alright!" she exclaimed.

"I'm fine." I sighed, releasing her to pull Will up from the ground.

Taking a moment, we surveyed our chaotic surroundings. "Whose side is Jack on?" Elizabeth asked, seeing the ex-captain now beheld the curse.

"At the moment?" Will replied almost scathingly.

Scowling, I furrowed my brows. "Just you wait." I murmured. "You'll see I haven't misplaced my trust."

As I watched the intricate dance between the two pirates and their swords, I remained oblivious to the battle that had been reengaged behind me. It wasn't I until I heard a voice whine, "No fair," that I even turned around at all.

The sight I beheld was certainly one I had never seen before. Three of the cursed pirates stood strung together on the pole Elizabeth had previously used as a weapon; obviously, Will and Elizabeth had skewered them together in the moonlight, although Will was already running from the scene. Elizabeth shied back as well and, suddenly, a grenade exploded with a loud bang from within the stomach of one of the pirates.

Without hesitation, Elizabeth and I turned to run across the stone pathway towards the chest, well, Elizabeth did. I sloshed through the water in an attempt to reach the battling pirates. Jack threw his hand out towards Will, whence I saw something gold and shiny fly. The blacksmith caught it with ease, but the sound of a cocked gun pulled my attention away from the chest.

Barbossa stood confident, aiming his pistol dangerously in Elizabeth's direction. A shot rang through the cavern and my sister stopped in her tracks. Time seemed to stop. Elizabeth's eyes widened as she gasped, seemingly in pain, and I stopped with her, fearing the worst. It wasn't until Barbossa turned to Jack that I realized my adoptive sister was uninjured.

"Ten years you carry that pistol and now you waste your shot." Barbossa grinned devilishly.

"He didn't waste it." Will announced, standing over the cursed coffer.

All heads turned to him and he dropped two bloodied coins into the chest. Elizabeth smiled at her love, but Jack and I just watched Barbossa rip open his jacket. Blood began pouring from the wound and, despite his earlier cruelty and greed, I felt tears welling in my eyes. My vision blurred as he murmured, "I feel… cold."

A sob wracked my frame as I watched the man who'd raised me die, falling over and bleeding onto the cavern floor. Jack sloshed over to me and pulled me into his arms. "Shh… it'll be alright, love." he murmured soothingly.

"He's dead, Jack. I'll never—I'll never get to tell him how—how much I loved him or even th—thank him properly for taking care of me." I sobbed. "He was the only parent-like figure in my life who truly knew me and now—he's gone."

I felt two more hands rubbing my back soothingly and two voices murmuring comforting words in my ear. "It'll be alright, Rachelle. You've still got all of us to make it through." Elizabeth told me.

"We will never, ever leave you, Rachelle." Will added.

I looked up at my three best friends and forced a smile. "Thank you," I murmured

I sat next to Barbossa's body and murmured a prayer to the gods. When I looked up, all three were looking at me oddly. "What? Can I not pray for my own father and hope that despite all his crimes he will be ferried to the other side?"

Jack cracked a smile. "That's my girl." He held out a hand for me to grab and pulled me up. "Come on now, get up. I've got to get me ship back."

I saw Elizabeth look guilty before she turned to Will. "We should return to the _Dauntless_." she said.

"You're fiancé will be wanting to know you are safe." the man said in a disappointed monotone.

Elizabeth turned away and Jack walked up to him. "If you were waiting for the opportune moment, that was it. Now, if you'll be so kind, I'd be much obliged if you'd drop me off at my ship."

Will just rolled his eyes and looked around the room at all the pirate treasure. Jack and I turned away and started walking towards the boats. "So, Elizabeth really accepted Norrington's proposal?" I asked.

"Aye, on the condition that he and Governor Swann would come back to save you. Neither of them wanted to risk Elizabeth's safety. Said you'd probably been killed, or worse."

"What is worse than death?" I thought aloud. "They didn't know of the curse and don't know about my previous piracy."

"I'm not sure, love, but I know for me, it was those ten years without you."

I shove him lightly. "Jack Sparrow, you're—"

I was silenced again by a gentle kiss. Not as passionate as the first, just a simple peck on the lips to get me to shut up. "You were saying, love?"

"I was saying, you are the sweetest man I have ever met in my entire life."

"Oh, give it up, love birds. Once we're back at the _Dauntless_, you won't be able to see each other. Imagine the horror on Norrington's face." I let out a dry laugh. "The Governor's daughter courted by a pirate. Yes, that'll go over quite well." Will drawled, taking the oars and sweeping them into the water.

"Yes, but I'll be going back to the _Pearl_ and Rachelle will be coming… with… me…" Jack trailed off, seeing the saddened expression on my face.

"I can't go with you, Jack." I confessed. "I must return to Port Royal. Commodore Norrington and Governor Swann came back for me—I can't just let them think I was killed."

"But, we could stage it so that…"

"No, Jack. I'm going to Port Royal and that's final. Now, if you…" I trailed off as our lifeboat cleared the mouth of the cavern and we caught sight of the near empty bay. The _Black Pearl_ was gone. "I'm sorry." Elizabeth said, although it was unclear whether or not she meant it.

"It's alright." Jack sighed, placing a hand on mine. "They've done what's best by them."


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey there! So, I had planned to get this chapter finished and posted A LOT sooner, but things have been keeping me crazy busy (Yay, schoolwork!). Thank you all for being so patient with me! Anyway, so here's this next chapter—please let me know what you think!**

**Chapter 14**

Too soon, we arrived back at the _Dauntless_ and the soldiers escorted Jack immediately down to the brig. I struggled not to let my despair flood my features as I was forced to watch the man I loved ripped away from me, but my efforts were in vain. Hurriedly, Will pulled me into an embrace, hiding me away from the suspicious eyes of the sailors, and I let a few tears of anguish wet his shirt.

With no hesitation, Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington ushered Elizabeth away with apprehensive reprimands that suppressed the underlying urge to smother her in queries of her well-being. I remained stationary with Will for a moment longer before pulling away and allowing a scathing laugh to issue from my lips.

"You know," I said to the blacksmith, "that man raised me for eight years, yet when both Elizabeth and I are in a dangerous situation, I'm invisible. I was the one stuck with the cursed pirates while she was on a bloody island drinking rum with bloody Jack Sparrow."

He raised an eyebrow, giving me a pointed look. "Well, we're in the same boat. Whenever Norrington is around, Governor Swann completely ignores my handiwork. They're a perfect couple, I suppose. Both always have all the attention on them." he commented derisively.

"Oh, Will," I comforted, placing my hand on his own. "We'll work it out. Together. You and I. Now that you've joined the family business." I added with a laugh.

"What?" he asked.

"Both our fathers are pirate, William." I explained. "Besides, you can't deny it now. You're a pirate, and a damn good one at that."

He sighed reluctantly. "Damn you." he swore. "Yes, well, I suppose you're right. I can't really deny it anymore."

"No, sir, you bloody well can't." I grinned victoriously.

With a laugh, Will teased, "You're going to have to clean up that mouth, Miss Swann. Port Royal is not a pirate ship."

The smug grin melted quickly into a scowl. "I hadn't thought of that."

"Let's go below deck." my friend offered in a quick attempt to cheer me up. "I want to see your real swordsmanship now that you don't have to pretend to be a proper young woman."

My lips curved into a near devilish grin as I smirked at him, teasing, "Alright, Mr. 'Practice Three Hours a Day to Kill a Pirate When He Meets One', but don't come crying when the 'proper young woman' wins in about two seconds."

"We'll see about that." he scoffed with a laugh.

With nary a wayward glance in our direction from the diligent crew, we scurried below deck to the cargo hold and piled crates along the walls to create more of a level field to duel. I drew my sword with a playful glint in my eyes and the smirk reappearing on my lips. Will unsheathed his own blade and held it in front of him, taking a ready stance.

I took the defensive, knowing my friend would go easy until he realized my full potential. "Your move, blacksmith." I taunted, tapping the tip of his blade with my own.

Smugly, he attacked first, lunging forward as he sliced. Steel bit steel as the blades collided with an easy block. I sent a jab at his abdomen, which he dodged easily and returned with another lunge. Taking the higher ground, I leapt on top of a crate and blocked another swing. Cringing, I moved a hand over my abdomen as I noticed the ache now that the adrenalin from the battle had subsided. Will hesitated, looking concerned for a moment until I waved him on. He lunged half-heartedly and I blocked, rushing forward with a sudden leap that sent Will stumbling backwards. As I overwhelmed him, the blacksmith fell on the floor, leaving himself wide open as I tapped the tip of my blade to his heaving chest.

"What did I say, Turner?" I grinned triumphantly. "Don't underestimate the power of the 'proper young woman'. Especially one that grew up battling drunken pirates in Tortuga."

He lay panting on the ground as I sheathed my scabbard and held my hand out to help him up. "Thanks." he said. "You're a decent fighter. I hadn't realized you were holding back that much skill, speed, and power during our lessons."

I shrugged. "Eh, one has to feign ignorance with a sword, even if it means she's a bit rusty when she's faced with a fight to the death against cursed skeleton pirates."

"You disarmed me that fast and you're _rusty_?!" he paused. "It's alright—I was going easy on you and let you win."

"Yes, I'm sure you let her win, Mr. Turner." a voice said as a pair of boots descended the steps into the cargo hold. "A young woman of her class should not even be handling a sword. Rachelle, what were you thinking? You've gotten hurt facing an expert swordsman like that."

I recognized the worry and paternalistic features in his voice. "Father, I'm fine. Like you said, Mr. Turner let me win." I assured him, lying through my teeth.

"Yes, well, that was very nice of him. Now come along, we must get you out of those rags and into proper garments." He ushered me upstairs without another word to Will and into the room where I found Elizabeth. "Your sister has prepared a dress for you to change into and then we can throw those pirate clothes overboard." Governor Swann added.

I sighed and shut the door as my adoptive father exited the room. "Elizabeth, must I change _right now_? Honestly, if I am to remain in this cabin, shouldn't I be allowed to wear whatever I please? It isn't like I'm dressing to impress any of these soldiers."

"Oh, yes," she snapped sarcastically. "You've already got your love wrapped around your finger. Too bad that said love is locked in the brig and is due to face the gallows."

"Elizabeth, I didn't force you to accept that proposal. If you don't want to marry the Commodore, just call off the wedding." I replied, struggling to keep my tone calm.

"It's not as easy as that!" she sighed. "I only accepted so they'd go back to save you and Will! I had no choice, Rachelle."

"No matter what we did, Jack would still be facing the gallows when we return to Port Royal! Thanks for saving me and Will, but we could've escaped the _Black Pearl_. In case you forgot, I know the ins and outs of that ship. I would have managed to get Will and me off without you having to sell your soul to Norrington. Your father's been nice to me and all, but it's just not the same as having someone raise you from birth and being there throughout your childhood."

"Well, excuse me if I didn't remember—"

"That I'm not really your sister?" I interrupted. "That I was raised by pirates? That the only father to me was just killed for trying to _kill you_? That I've never known anyone that I'm truly related to? That I've never found a place where I can just fit in and be happy where I am? Because that's the real me. No matter how well I can hide it from everyone else, I can never hide the truth from myself. I can never truly be happy until I've found my parents, whether they're dead or alive and whether they accept me or not! Never can I be happy until I know my true family!"

Snatching the dress from the bed, I wrenched open the door and marched down the corridor to the next cabin where I could dress without Elizabeth's bitterness biting at me. At last truly alone, I heaved a sigh, wondering why in the world I had thought it would be easy to leave my past where it belonged and start anew in an honest society.


	15. Chapter 15

**Uh, hi! So, I'm in the middle of trying to not die during finals week, but I thought I'd post this anyway. Seriously, studying? What's that? Anyway, please let me know what you think! I put a ton of thought into how this chapter would play out and your feedback is always much appreciated.**

**Chapter 15**

I slumped to the floor, leaning my head against the course wooden door. My eyes closed as I reigned in my anger and frustration. Remorse began trickling into my consciousness as I realized Elizabeth did not deserve such an extreme outburst, although regret remained at bay. My mind was at peace, for I had said the things I needed to say. Every word was true and she had to know the reality of my delicate situation.

But my heart was not fully unburdened of unspoken words. It pained me to know Jack's inevitable fate. The end he would meet when we arrived in Port Royal. I stood slowly, a decision forming in my mind.

I strode down to the brig with an air of importance. "I would like a word with this wretched _pirate_ before we arrive in Port Royal." I spoke to the lone soldier with as much authority as I could muster.

He stepped aside hesitantly, allowing me to see Jack, who had looked up at the sound of my voice. "Alone, if you please, soldier." I added, glancing back at the lonely sentinel.

"I've had orders to watch the prisoner at all times, Miss Swann."

"Yes, that's all very well, but as the Governor's daughter, I'm telling you to leave. I will be fine, Mr. Mullroy. He is behind bars and he is unarmed. Now, if you please," I gestured to the stairs.

Mullroy drew his eyebrows together in deep thought. "Very well, Miss Swann." he nodded. "But I'm taking the keys. He's very manipulative."

"I will heed your warning, soldier." I sighed as he exited.

Not a moment after the door was shut, Jack and I rushed to the bars, gripping them as though we could pass through them if only we wished hard enough. "Jack…" His name slipped breathlessly past my lips as our foreheads touched gently.

"Rachelle, ye shouldn't be down here. If he walks back in and sees us like this…" he trailed off.

"I don't care, Jack. I need you right now and if this is all we'll be able to see each other ever again, I just want to tell you… Captain Jack Sparrow, I have loved you from the very day we met. I may have been still a growing, gangly youth, but I knew in my heart, something was meant to happen."

"Love, I… I'm speechless, darling. Quite honestly, I don't know what to say."

My heart sank, falling hard to the pit of my stomach. "You don't love me, do you?"

"No, I… I'm just touched, love. I've been wanting to tell you I loved you many a times now, but with Barbossa around, I never got the chance."

We sat in silence for a moment before I began, "Jack, I—"

"Shh…" he said, placing his finger on my lips. "I just want you to know, no matter what happens when we get back to Port Royal, I will always be with ye and you will always be in my heart."

A tear slid down my cheek and I placed a kiss on his lips. "Thank you, Jack." I glanced hesitantly at the door and murmured, "I should go."

Jack nodded sadly and I kissed him once more before rising to my feet. "Goodbye, Jack," I murmured softly, turning away slowly and ascending the steps.

Schooling my expression almost instantly, as the act was almost second nature to me, I opened the door and turned to Mullroy. "Thank you, soldier. I've said all I had to say to that man. Pirate or not, I owe him my life."

The man looked slightly surprised, but nodded all the same. When he went back downstairs, I swooned, leaning against the wall and savoring the feeling on my lips from Jack's kisses. They dissipated all too quickly, as such things often do, and I walked to the bow of the ship.

Gazing out upon the sea, I reminisced upon the years I spent sailing her. I closed my eyes and let the feeling of the gentle rocking of the waves wash over me. "You'll mess up your hair if you stand there, you know." a voice said behind me, jolting me out of my calm reverie.

I jumped and snapped my eyes open. Turning around, my eyes found the last person I thought would be speaking to me. "Commodore Norrington," I smiled, hardly containing my puzzlement. "What brings you over here to talk to me, of all people, and not your fiancé or future father-in-law?"

"Please, Miss Swann, you are just as important as they are." he protested.

"Well, it certainly doesn't feel like it when she's fawned over every second of every day." I commented almost snappishly, referring to Elizabeth.

"I had not expected such bitterness from you, Miss Swann."

"I'm sorry, Commodore. It was not my place." I sighed, turning back to the sea.

"No, it's quite alright." he said, stepping up beside me. "I just… do not understand." He paused. "Would you please explain for me, Miss Swann?" he asked with a softness in his voice that I had not expected.

I glanced over at him with curiosity. "Please, Commodore, if it's not too improper, we are to be in-laws, I suppose. Call me Rachelle."

"It's fine, Miss… I mean, Rachelle." he replied, correcting himself hesitantly. "And you may call me James, if you'd like… just not in front of the crew or at the fort or anything."

"Of course," I answered, smiling over at him.

He looked at me with a sparkle in his eyes that I had never seen before. "You have a beautiful smile." James complimented.

"Thank you." I blushed, ducking my head slightly. "Now, I believe I owe you an explanation." He nodded, so I continued, "Elizabeth's always attracted the attention of, well, everyone. She's perfect; I mean, she's pretty and acts properly and always has men talking to her. I could never get any of that attention if I wanted."

"That's not true."  
>"Of course, it is, James. You've seen me as a young woman the same amount of time as Elizabeth, and yet, she's the one you're marrying. The only man ever to show any interest in me was Jack Sparrow. A pirate, yes, but from what I hear, he was a major part in my rescue."<p>

The commodore heaved a sigh and said, "Rachelle, you know his list of crimes as well as I do. I've seen you up at the fort much more than Elizabeth ever desired to be. I know you've been paying attention to all the activity and such."

I let out a breath and confessed, "I was practically raised on the ocean. Before I came to Port Royal, I'd never been in an English town before. But once I got settled in, I realized how much I missed the sea. She'd become a part of my every fiber and I couldn't be truly happy unless I was relatively near the action of the sea. Fort Charles was the closest I could get to that."

James looked over the ocean at the approaching town of Port Royal. "If you don't mind me asking, who are your biological parents?" he asked hesitantly. "Who raised you?"

"My parents abandoned me at birth and the man who raised me was recently killed. His name doesn't matter anymore." I answered delicately, trying to avoid the topic.

We stood in a sudden silence, allowing the buzzing activity behind us drill into our attention. It was peaceful, though, and not at all awkward. The lull in our conversation came naturally, until we were interrupted. "Commodore!" someone shouted. "We're approaching Port Royal."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." I muttered, causing James to smile as he turned around.

"I'm well aware of that, sailor. Please alert Mr. Mullroy down in the brig."

"Yes sir!" the sailor shouted.

I rolled my eyes and said, "I suppose I will see you later, Commodore. I'm sure you've got things to do before we make port."

I walked away without waiting for a reply and ran into Elizabeth as I made to remain out of the sailors' way. "Oh, hello." she said, startled.

"We're about to make port." I told her, keeping a neutral expression across my face. "We should probably stay in our cabins."

"Oh, alright, thank you." she said; I just gave her a nod and slid past her. "Wait, Rachelle, I'm sorry." Elizabeth blurted out.

I turned around and looked at her curiously. "For what?"

"I'm sorry for what I said… about Jack and your childhood and everything. I shouldn't have brought it up. I was just… frustrated that I have to marry Norrington instead of Will." she sighed.

"I'm sorry, too." I smiled. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

We gave each other a sisterly hug and entered my cabin at the end of the hall. I grabbed my pirate attire off the bed and tucked it beneath my skirt.

"What are you doing?" Elizabeth laughed.

"Hiding my clothes so they won't toss them overboard." I shrugged, as if it were a normal thing to do.

"Why?"

"Because… they're from the _Pearl_ and it's all I have left to remind me of Jack and Barbossa."

She just rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Rachelle."

I grinned and made to jump on her when I felt a pain in my side. "Ah," I winced, falling to the ground.

Glancing down, I saw blood seeping through my blouse. "Oh bugger." I frowned.


	16. Chapter 16

**I love all the questions I've been getting in the reviews! Not to worry, they'll be answered… eventually. :D Thank you to everyone who's reviewed thus far! I really appreciate hearing from you all!**

**Chapter 16**

Placing a hand on wound as warm blood seeped onto my fingertips, my frown deepened as I realized my foolishness. A knock on our door captured my attention momentarily. "Elizabeth, Rachelle?" Will's voice came through the wall laced with concern. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I'm alright." I responded.

Elizabeth looked outraged. "'_Alright_'?!" she exclaimed. "Rachelle, you're bleeding all over the floor."

"What's wrong?" Will exclaimed, bursting through the door.

"It would seem I've aggravated my injury." I answered flippantly, showing him the blossoming red stain on my side.

"Mr. Turner!" the Commodore's voice emanated down the hall as he strode towards the cabin. "I understand you have been in the company of pirates, but you must remember it is highly inappropriate to barge to a woman's chambers unannounced."

The resonating sound of footsteps grew closer until James' head could be seen peering into the room. "Where did that come from?" he asked, concern leaking into his voice.

I explained in the least amount of words possible what had transpired in regards to my physical health while aboard the Pearl, pausing only to answer a question or two about the treatment I'd received. Entering the cabin, the two men helped me up from the floor and I sat back on the bed.

Carefully, I ripped away a section of my bloodied dress, but only removed enough so they could see my side. "I'm not sure that's entirely appropriate, Miss Swann." James started to protest, but at my firm glance, inspected the injury as best he could without completely removing the dressing. "And you said Sparrow bandaged your side? He did it well."

"Regardless, she must see a healer." Will affirmed.

As we were all in agreement, Will gently lifted me into his arms and carried down to the harbor. Governor Swann, upon seeing my bloodied state, sent a messenger ahead to fetch a doctor. I leaned my head against my friend's chest as our troupe marched up towards the governor's mansion. Closing my eyes, I grit my teeth as each step jarred my side and sent pain throughout my entire abdomen.

At last, I was settled more or less comfortably on my bed and the doctor had come to treat my side. Gently, he peeled away the soiled bandages after cutting away a greater portion of the ruined dress. A fresh wave of pain flooded over me as the chilly air struck the wound. I found myself feeling lightheaded all of the sudden and the doctor's face swam before me. His lips moved as though he was asking how I felt, but the words were lost. Shaking my head ever so slightly, I slumped back onto my pillow and fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

><p>I awoke sometime later to find fresh bandages encircling my abdomen and a sheet blanketing my frame. Glancing around the room, I spotted my young blacksmith friend sitting in the corner with his face in his hands. I spoke softly, "What's the matter, Will?"<p>

Startled, the man looked up. "Rachelle, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"You haven't answered my question, Will. What's wrong?"

"Where do I start?" he scoffed.

"How about your feelings for Elizabeth?"

"Dammit, Rachelle! You know better than anyone that I _love_ her! The fact that she is _marrying_ the Commodore is worse than any pain I have ever felt before!" he exclaimed, rising to his feet. "When Jack told me, I felt my heart _die_ inside. How would you feel if Jack decided to marry Anamaria, that pirate girl?"

"What pirate girl?" I demanded, sudden fury pounding through my veins.

"That's not important." Will answered, brushing the subject aside as he sat on the bed beside me. "The point is that you're angry. That's exactly how I feel."

"Speaking of Jack, do you have a plan for tomorrow?"

"I don't know, Rachelle. He was set to betray me to Barbossa just to save his own skin." my friend pointed out.

Pursing my lips, I shot back, "You know as well as I that he saved your life. I may have supplied you with a sword and I saved your life countless times, but Jack Sparrow killed Barbossa to save you and Elizabeth."

"What about you, huh? Don't you have a plan to save your beloved Jack? Don't think that I didn't notice you down in the brig! Or was that just leading him on so before you allow him to die, he'd feel some remorse for his actions?"

Incensed, I leaned forward and slapped Will across the face. "How _dare_ you?! How dare you accuse me of… of 'leading him on'?! I _love_ him, William Turner, as I have for years. I cannot believe that tomorrow you're just going to allow him to be hanged! He helped you to rescue Elizabeth and me and although he may be a pirate, it seems he has more honor and respect than you do!"

A sharp silence erupted between us, leaving only the creaking sounds of someone on the stairs to greet my ears. "Get out." I said, my eyes not leaving his face.

A hurt look crossed his features, but transformed almost immediately to shame. "I'm sorry, Rachelle, I…" He rose to his feet and shuffled towards the door, turning around momentarily to give me one last guilty look. "Rachelle, I shouldn't have…"

"No, Will. You shouldn't have."

The next day, the day of Jack's hanging, I refused to leave my bed. "Rachelle, you must come. It's not proper for a young woman such as you to miss this important of a public event." Governor Swann pleaded.

"I'm not going." I protested, sitting firmly under the covers. "I hardly think it proper for an injured woman to aggravate her injury in the name of executing the man who saved her life."

Resigned, the governor left me to my thoughts and joined Elizabeth in the carriage bound for the fort. I rose slowly to my feet, careful not to reopen my slowly-healing wound. From my balcony, I watched the fort where everyone had assembled. I saw the noose being placed around Jack's neck, but before the lever could be pulled to end the pirate's life, I fled down the stairs and through the barren streets of the town, ignoring the persisting ache of my injury. I ran down to the docks, glancing momentarily over the sea before collapsing on the pier where Jack had rescued Elizabeth so many days ago.

At last alone, at last away from the society that had finally stolen away my life, I broke down into an angry fit of tears. Ignoring the footsteps behind me, I wept into my arms until I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Go away, Will." I said, my voice cracking with sorrow.

"I'm sorry I'm not who you were expecting, but I might be able to help." a voice said as the man sat down beside me.

**So, originally, this was to be the end of the story, but I've been reassessing everything and I'm pretty sure I'll have at least one more chapter. Regardless, there's not much more for this first installment of Rachelle Jones's saga. I hope to hear from you all for this chapter! Any predictions?**


	17. Chapter 17

**This was by far one of the hardest chapters I've ever written. And perhaps the longest of this story. Here, we delve into Rachelle's deepest, darkest nightmare and it isn't pretty. I've amended some of what I had to ensure that is remains appropriate for the rating (Teen) I've set for this work, but here is my disclaimer. It is on the more mature side of what is considered Teen. Should anyone have any remaining concerns about the rating, please let me know.**

**That being said, this also brings us to the end of **_**A Tale to Tell**_**. A thousand blessings of gratitude to those of you who are reading this now, have been with me since the beginning, and to those of you who have reviewed. You give me so much support and you're amazing. The reviews I've received keep me writing, especially when real life rears its ugly head.**

**Alas! One final note! I hope to have the sequel posted soon! Keep a weather eye out, folks!**

**Chapter 17**

Peering through a vision blurry with tears, I allowed my heart to leap with joy as I made out a man with a hat that looked particularly tri-cornered. Quickly, I blinked away the sorrow from my eyes and got a good look at the man who was to be my only comfort.

"Oh." I said, my heart sinking. "Good morrow, Commodore."

James looked taken aback at my coldness. "Good morrow, Miss Swann," he replied with a sudden aloofness.

"I beg your pardon, but I have no desire to speak to anyone right now."

"Particularly the man who condemned your pirate lover to death."

The sorrow gracing my features disappeared immediately and was replaced with horror. "Beg pardon?" I stuttered.

"Rachelle, I must confess that I overheard your conversation with Mr. Turner yesterday afternoon."

Any color left on my face instantly drained away. "Wh—what?"

"I had wished to check on you before I left the manor. The doctor told us that you had passed out while he was tending to you."

"Oh goodness, James, please allow me to explain."

"Please do, Rachelle. I have no wish to be forced to turn you in to the Crown as a pirate."

It took a moment for the words I wished to speak to reach my lips. "I am sorry to disappoint you, but it seems as though my past has caught up with me at last." I began, pulling a puzzled look from the Commodore.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I… I was raised by the pirate who kidnapped Elizabeth and me. My parents abandoned me in Tortuga on the day of my birth, so Hector Barbossa took me in as his own child and raised me as a pirate. And I was… well, both of us were…" I paused, taking a calming breath. "James, you branded me when I was eight years old." I confessed, rolling up my right sleeve and revealing the fading 'P' on my wrist.

He opened his mouth to comment, but I carried on. "When I was fourteen, Barbossa joined the crew of the _Black Pearl_, and I joined right alongside him. That was the day that I met Jack Sparrow, the infamous pirate captain I had always looked up to. The moment we met, we knew that we were meant to be together. It only took an instant. The only person who objected was Barbossa; although, we never did find out exactly why."

Swallowing the lump that was slowly forming in my throat, I continue my tale, relaying the exact details of the curse and the subsequent events that followed, all the way up to my arrival in Port Royal.

James simply stared in disbelief. "I… I really did that do you?" he stammered; his eyes were fixated on the ugly white scar on my wrist.

"Yes," I affirmed simply, rolling down my sleeve once more. "And I knew it was you who did from the moment I saw your face after washing ashore on that very beach." I pointed across the harbor to the sands I had first met upon this island. "I will never forget your face because of it."

"What did… How did it happen?" he asked, growing concerned. "How did we catch you?"

Closing my eyes, I relived the memory that haunts my every nightmare. Relating the tale, I began, "Barbossa needed something from a man who was living in London, so we set out to sea with a small ship and faithful crew. When we arrived, however, the man was not even in town. He'd been arrested and jailed for… something. I don't recall what it was, exactly. We set off to return to the Caribbean, but about a week into the voyage, your ship caught up with us."

At this point in the narrative, I slipped into my memories, reliving the events as I relayed them to James.

"_Captain! There's a ship on the horizon! One of the King's Navy!"_

_Barbossa turned sharply upon hearing the warning from the man stationed in the crow's nest. "Men! Make ready for battle!" he barked at the crew. Turning to me, he added, "Rachelle, remain inside my cabin. Do not come out until I come to fetch you."_

_I nodded obediently, dashing out of sight; but the sounds of the battle were too enticing for my young, reckless spirit to resist for long. Unsheathing my blade, I scurried back into the fray, darting amongst the soldiers and slashing away at those whose defense I was easily able to maneuver._

_But our numbers were dwindling fast. Soon enough, only a handful of the crew remained and Barbossa knew we had been defeated, especially once he laid his eyes on me as I whirled my way through the throng, coming to rest before our opponent's captain. I gazed up at the brown-haired youth. He was maybe twice my age, but near enough to feel a stirring of sympathy in his breast. It was his hesitation that saved my life. Barbossa threw his blade to the deck in surrender with fear in his eyes. The Navy youth looked up in shock and locked eyes with my foster father, an unspoken understanding passing between them._

"_Spare the girl and the captain for me to deal with. Execute the remainder of the crew for piracy and treason."_

"_But, James—" one of the Navy men spoke up._

"_That's Captain to you, soldier." James barked, whirling around to face his crew. "I may be young, but I hold a commission from the King. That's much more than any of you will ever have. I expect my orders to be carried out unopposed."_

"_Of course, Captain Norrington," the man obliged, bowing his head in apology._

_The soldiers moved away with our crew, slaying the pirates and pitching them into the sea. Norrington moved towards Barbossa as I scampered towards him, clutching to my father in fear._

"_Shackle these two and escort our guests to the brig." the Navy Captain barked. "Then make sail for the nearest East India Trading Company Outpost."_

"_Father," I whispered. "What's to become of us?"_

_Barbossa clutched me close, remaining silent as Norrington stalked away, leaving us to be shackled and led to the brig. Hours passed until the ship docked somewhere. When we were led above deck, night had fallen and I could only see so far as the lamps that dotted the ship. The soldiers led my father and me into a dinghy and we were rowed ashore. Not much later, after we had been led into the stifling hot underbelly of an official looking building and thrown unceremoniously to the floor, James Norrington approached us again, this time with a slightly elder companion._

"_There is no trial here. No jury." the second man stated, slowly circling around us as if stalking prey. "Although, nor is there capital punishment." He came to rest in front of me, gazing smugly into my eyes. "There is only judgment, and pain."_

_Clasping my shackled wrist, he heaved me across the floor and set me down again in the searing heat of a crackling furnace. "Such a shame your life is wasted in crime." he whispered sneeringly before moving away to address my father._

_The Navy Captain strode over to me with an even face, although his eyes shone with apprehension. Lifting a glowing branding iron from the furnace, he glanced down at me in pity before his gaze shifted to his companion. The man gave a firm nod and when Captain Norrington looked at me again, his jaw was set in determination. Wrenching my arm towards him, he flicked my hand under to reveal my unmarred wrist and, without any of the hesitation or sympathy he showed earlier, pressed the iron to my flesh._

_A scream burst from my lips, echoing in the torturous chamber, and tears spilled uncontrolled from my eyes. He held my arm firm as the metal started to cool, losing its scorching heat ever so slowly while it seared my tender skin. At long last, he pulled the branding iron away from my blistering flesh, leaving me in a crumpled heap as I cradled my burning wrist to my chest._

_On the other side of the chamber, Barbossa took his own brand from the second man with_ _an even, unchanging face, although fear for my life was clearly reflected in his eyes. As the two men strode out of the room, Norrington turned to the two soldiers that were standing guard. "Escort them to the prison for the rest of the night. We'll release them in the morning."_

_The men nodded, carrying out their orders wordlessly. In our cell, I curled up against my father, still clutching my tender wrist with care._

_The night passed slowly. The pain made sleep an impossible dream, but the day's events had left me thoroughly exhausted. Suddenly, a collection of soldiers stumbled down the stairs, making such a racket that my father even woke up from his slumber. "Wha-?"_

_The men leered into each cell, finally reaching ours. "Pretty little thing." one grumbled._

"_Norrington brought 'er in for piracy. We captured 'er father's ship few days ago, but our grand _Captain_ spared 'er life." another slurred._

"_She'll do." the first replied with a throaty laugh._

_With a click, they unlocked the cell. The men stormed forth with weapons held aloft, separating me from my father and shoving me into the corner. They reeked of alcohol and took no care."_

Unable to relay my most horrible nightmare, I trailed off, halting my narrative.

"What happened?" James asked, a pained expression marring his features. "What… what did they do to you, Rachelle?"

"You really don't remember anything, do you?" I choked, incapable of stopping the tears that rolled down my cheeks. "James, they… they tore at… and they…" My voice lowered to a whisper. "Your men, pride of the King's Navy… I was just a helpless child who had done absolutely nothing wrong except have a lousy parentage."

I shuddered violently, clutching my legs to my chest as the memories of their cruel faces and haunting laughter impaled my mind. I must've looked ridiculous, sobbing pitifully into his crisp uniform. Nonetheless, he wrapped his arms around me and held me tight. "Shh… shh… You're okay, now, Rachelle. It's okay.. I'm not going to hurt you anymore. I… I'm so sorry." James murmured as he buried his face into my hair.

I don't know how long we sat there, but eventually, after sunset melted into the night, I muttered, "What will Elizabeth say when she finds us like this?"

"Absolutely nothing." He replied stiffly. "She left me for Turner."

"What?" I sniffled, pulling away suddenly.

"After the… Well, Turner confessed his love for her and she stopped the troops from killing him. Like I said, she left me for Turner."

"I'm so sorry, James, but she always loved him. She made a good choice though. At least Will's not a beggar. At least he's got an honest profession in town." I sighed.

"No, he's a pirate. He said it himself."

I couldn't help but to laugh. "Like father, like son, then."

We sat there, staring at the twinkling stars until he said, "I'd better get you home."

Walking back to the Swann mansion, I wiped away the rest of my tears and smiled over at Commodore Norrington. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked. "I've done nothing to you except hurt you. I don't deserve your thanks… or forgiveness."

"For coming after me." I smiled. "You didn't see Will or Elizabeth out there. Nobody came to comfort me; nobody said a word to me… except you."

"Well then, you're very welcome, Miss Rachelle." he said with a foolish grin as he bowed deeply.

Laughing, I opened the back door to the mansion, but paused before I walked inside. Biting my lip, I turned around and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Goodbye, James."

"Good night, Miss Swann." he said as he blushed.


	18. Chapter 18 - Final note

**A great big thank you to everyone for their lovely reviews for the final chapter of **_**A Tale to Tell.**_** As I said in the Author's Note from that last chapter, there is a sequel titled **_**The Pursuit of Piracy**_** that I posted shortly after finishing the first installment in Rachelle's saga and will be updating with another chapter in just a few moments. A short preview is featured following this A/N.**

**To the Guest reviewer under the pseudonym MiniCinnamon:**** Thank you for that quite enthusiastic review. I appreciate your fervent motivation for me to continue, but that was indeed the last chapter of **_**A Tale to Tell**_**. Fear not, your questions shall be answered in due time. As I have stated previously, there is a sequel posted under my username, for which I have detailed plans. Your ideas have a great deal of merit, but I have already planned out Rachelle's journey through "At World's End" on paper and have inspiration already swimming about my mind for "On Stranger Tides" and beyond. I just need to synthesize these plans into chapters and perfect them to my satisfaction. Thanks again for your review! I'm so glad you've been enjoying my work.**

_ Knock, knock, knock._ "Open up by order of the Royal Navy!"

I pulled open the door with a smile. "Good morning, gentlemen." I greeted the soldiers. "How are you this fine morning?"

"We're looking for Mr. James Norrington." Gillette spoke loudly, ignoring my greeting. "Lord Beckett has issued a warrant for his arrest. May we search your estate?"

Furrowing my brow, I queried, "On what charges? Mr. Norrington just recently resigned from your ranks, as I'm sure you recall. I hardly think he is the sort to turn so quickly against the King."

"The charge is conspiring to set free a man convicted of crimes against the Crown and Empire and condemned to death, for which the punishment is also death."

"So I see," I sighed, keeping my expression expertly schooled. "I do wish I could be of more assistance, sir, but I must prepare myself for my sister's wedding this afternoon."

"Miss Swann, we have reason to believe that Norrington may be hiding here as the warrant for his arrest was issued alongside those for Ms. Elizabeth Swann and Mr. William Turner."

"Beg pardon?" I choked, feeling suddenly ill. "Will and Elizabeth have been arrested as well?"

"I apologize, miss. I've been told their wedding has been cancelled in light of their arrests."

Dropping all facades, I took a hold of the doorframe, feeling my knees beginning to tremble. "Miss Swann, are you alright?" Gillette inquired.

"No, I… I feel faint." I stammered. "Excuse me, sir."

Stumbling backwards, I closed the door without so much as a send-off to the soldiers and staggered to the sofa. "J—James!" I called before collapsing on the cushions.

"What is it?" my suitor questioned, rushing in from the dining room where he had been overseeing the preparations for lunch.

"You… Elizabeth… Will… Under arrest… Conspiring… Pirate…" I stuttered.

"Breath, Rachelle, what's happened? What did the soldiers want?"

"They're searching for _you_…" I spluttered. "Will… and Elizabeth… they've… already been arrested."

"For what?" he asked, although it looked as though he already knew the answer.

"Gillette, he said it was for conspiring to set free a pirate. For which the punishment is—"

"Death." James completed with a grim look on his face.


End file.
